New York’s volunteer firefighters and emergency service personnel have long been the backbone of the state’s emergency response system. On Long Island and across New York, they respond not only to fires, but also to car accidents, medical emergencies, storms and disasters of every kind.
Their service saves taxpayers an estimated $3.8 billion each year, according to the Firefighters Association of the State of New York. Yet despite their value, volunteer departments are struggling to recruit and retain enough members to meet growing demands.
The reasons are familiar. Potential volunteers say they don’t have the time, that the commitment feels overwhelming, or that the system is simply too complicated to navigate. Cultural and economic changes have made it harder for people to give unpaid time, and the numbers show it: New York’s volunteer fire service has declined from roughly 120,000 members in the early 2000s to about 80,000 today. While this is not yet a full-blown crisis, it is a warning sign that action is needed now.
Now, FASNY is proposing the next step: the Volunteer Optimization Legislative Initiative. This package of 14 straightforward actions is designed to modernize how New York supports volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel, making service more feasible for today’s families and workers. Importantly, these initiatives would apply uniformly across the state, ensuring fairness and consistency for all volunteer departments.
For more than a decade, FASNY has worked to reverse the decline in the number of volunteers. Through initiatives like Train the Recruiter classes and a statewide outreach campaign, the organization has consistently pushed creative solutions.
In recent years, that effort has been strengthened by a productive partnership with Gov. Kathy Hochul and many state legislators. Together, they have delivered training stipends, grants for capital improvements and funding for equipment purchases that have made a real difference in communities statewide.
At its core, VOLI recognizes that volunteers should not be penalized financially for serving. Several proposals focus on meaningful tax relief, including an enhanced volunteer firefighter and EMS income tax credit, the ability to combine such credits with property tax exemptions, and new credits to help offset child care and family-related expenses. Housing affordability is addressed with exemptions from mortgage recording taxes and optional local relief on recording fees, helping volunteers live in the communities they protect.
Other initiatives acknowledge the real, day-to-day costs of volunteering. VOLI would allow departments or authorities having jurisdiction to reimburse volunteers’ reasonable out-of-pocket expenses without creating tax burdens. It also proposes incentives for on-call duty shifts through the Length of Service Award Program, and state-funded reimbursement mechanisms to help smaller departments afford these benefits.
Workplace realities are another major barrier to volunteering, and VOLI tackles this head-on. Employer tax incentives would encourage businesses to hire volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel while allowing them to respond during business hours. At the same time, volunteers would gain stronger workplace protections.
Equally important, the initiative would prohibit local governments, unions or bargaining units from preventing career firefighters from volunteering in their home communities, expanding the potential pool of experienced responders.
Safety and fairness are also central themes. VOLI would bring volunteer injury benefits in line with standard workers’ compensation, ensuring equal protection when volunteers are hurt in the line of duty. It would also expand eligibility for training stipends, public service loan forgiveness, and state tuition assistance, recognizing that education and training benefit both volunteers and the communities they serve.
Taken together, these 14 initiatives do not represent radical change. They are practical, thoughtful updates that reflect modern economic realities while respecting the proud tradition of volunteer service.
With the new state legislative session underway, FASNY representatives will discuss these proposals. Implementing at least a majority of them, if not all, would strengthen recruitment and retention, protect taxpayers, and help ensure that New York’s volunteer fire and EMS system remains strong for generations to come.
