Local fire departments in Bohemia, Holbrook, Sayville, and West Sayville will be hosting open houses at their fire stations during the month of October in hopes to attract more volunteers for active duty, especially on day shifts.

What once were firehouses with a myriad of legacy families as members have dwindled in the past 30 years, with rising housing and living costs on Long Island and children of firefighters not being able to remain in the same town, according to veteran firefighters of the West Sayville Fire Department.

“We have a pressing need for more volunteers to join,” said Patrick D’Onofrio, who will soon be chief of West Sayville Fire Department and has served as first assistant chief for six years. “Our coverage for calls is not at optimum.”

West Sayville has approximately 130 members, with about half as active-duty firefighters who answer emergency calls.

“Everyone could always use more,” said Larry Weiss, a 37-year veteran of West Sayville, who serves as department recording secretary. “The more people, the better.”

D’Onofrio said the ideal group of volunteers would be aged 25 to 35, as that is the core group with a paucity in fire departments throughout Long Island.

Currently, members of the West Sayville Fire Department range from age 17 to 61.

“That age range is our racing group, and they are rock stars,” said D’Onofrio.

Community members who volunteer (who must reside in the jurisdiction of the fire department they volunteer for) are offered free training, free gear outfitting (costs totaling to over $4500), and ongoing training that paid firefighters undergo.

For younger members, there is a tuition reimbursement for attending any SUNY school.

With mandates from New York State sans funding, volunteer fire departments have been stretched budget-wise. The typical expense for one fire truck is over $1.5 million.

While there is a retirement benefit for volunteer firefighters, D’Onofrio and Weiss stress the importance and sanctity of being a part of the community and serving others.

The West Sayville Fire Department typically serves as color guard for a number of veteran occasions, including when one returns home at MacArthur Airport, escorts winning sports teams back to their hometown, and holds a number of informative fire prevention courses for elementary school children.
In recent years, the International Firefighters Association has made a push for paid fire departments (e.g., New York City’s FDNY) in lieu of volunteer structures.

“The volunteer fire department is so central to the communities out here, and it would increase taxes enormously to have paid fire departments,” said D’Onofrio.