The state’s first volunteer stipend program has been approved, making available $10 million to help offset the costs of training courses that volunteer firefighters are required to complete. This first-ever compensation program is in response to a statewide shortage of volunteer firefighters. Volunteer firefighters serve approximately half of the state’s population and in recent years, more than three-quarters of these departments have reported a decrease in the number of individuals willing to volunteer and serve. Coupled with a significant increase in service calls, volunteer firefighters provide services beyond fire protection including vehicle accidents, medical emergencies, hazardous material spills, and weather-related rescue operations. The state’s Division’s Office of Fire Prevention and Control will administer the stipend to volunteer Firefighters for completion of the following training courses completed on or after August 31, 2023. Basic Exterior Firefighting Operations: $750 Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus/Interior Firefighting Operations: $1,250 Fire Officer 1: $1,000. To be eligible, fire departments must have submitted fire reports for the previous calendar year and complete the annual fire department demographics form. This new regulation also authorizes volunteer fire departments to pay volunteer firefighters a training stipend, subject to local funding. To attract and retain volunteer firefighters amid a statewide shortage, some localities have begun to offer a property tax break for volunteers who meet established service criteria. The Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY) also offers a scholarship program known as FASNY HELP. Student volunteers are eligible to have their tuition reimbursed, with any single semester award not to exceed $1,500, in exchange for maintaining defined grades and fulfilling service requirements in one of the state’s volunteer fire companies.
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