ALBANY — New York’s more than 81,000 volunteer firefighters save taxpayers an estimated $3.8 billion a year in wages and benefits at a time when their ranks are dwindling but recruitment efforts are being ramped up, according to a study released by the Firefighters Association of the State of New York.
“We’re just trying to show what the value of volunteer service is to the citizens of New York,” said John S. D’Alessandro, the organization’s secretary and a commissioner with the Halfmoon-Waterford Fire District in Saratoga County.
D’Alessandro and other board members with the statewide association said the critical roles of volunteer emergency responders in most counties outside of New York City is often taken for granted and the study the group commissioned is part of an effort to educate the public “on the significant role that the volunteers play and the value that they bring ot the taxpayers.”
The analysis by Resolution Economics, Inc., which has a staff of economists and policy analysts, sought to measure the economic value of volunteer fire departments across New York. The study also estimated the costs of transforming all-volunteer fire departments outside of New York City to paid departments, which it pegged at $188 million a year in general operating costs and an additional $83.8 million annually to maintain equipment and structures.
“Volunteer firefighters reduce municipal government expenses by eliminating the need to pay for career firefighter wages, benefits, and related costs,” the study found. “Volunteer organizations engage in extensive fundraising, which avoids tax levies for purchasing, maintaining, and operating firefighting equipment. Municipalities do not need to spend funds on fire stations with living quarters or other structures, which saves them a full range of annual operating expenses such as administration and utility costs.”
In December, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a measure into law that allows taxing entities such as school districts and local government agencies to offer a 10 percent property tax credit to volunteer firefighters. But that also requires the recipient to choose between that tax benefit or a $200 income tax credit that was enacted 23 years ago — a figure that has not been increased.
“Here it is 2023 and and it’s still at $200,” said Edward Tase Jr., president of the state firefighters association. “We’d like to see that increased to $1,000. The cost of living has gone up drastically in the last 20 years.”
Another barrier for extending tax benefits to volunteer firefighters is that their ranks include many younger members who still live with their parents or pay rent and do not own property.
Hochul announced in January that she would propose legislation to allow communities to pay “modest compensation” to eligible volunteer firefighters and use state funding to help cover costs associated with core training.
The governor’s office said volunteer departments serve about 9 million New Yorkers — or roughly half the state’s population. Most departments have reported a decrease in volunteers in recent years as calls for service increased nearly 30 percent between 1997 and 2000. That increase has triggered a significant uptick in mutual aid calls, in which departments must seek assistance from neighboring departments when battling fires or responding to other emergencies.
New York saw a 151 percent increase in mutual-aid calls between 2000 and 2020, compared to a national increase of 61 percent over the same period.
Tase has pledged to recruit 10,000 additional volunteers in firefighting and emergency responder ranks across the state in the next two years.
“That was my goal when I took the presidency in August last year,” he said. “It’s a long stretch but it can be done.”
There are also a large number of volunteer firefighters who are over 50, and the ongoing recruitment efforts are seeking to offset the loss of active members who are leaving the ranks due to age.
The study also examined response times for both urban and rural fire departments and, as expected, found that those organizations with fewer members took longer to response to emergencies.
“The capacity of volunteer fire departments to ensure adequate fire protection coverage heavily relies on the availability of individuals who are willing and able to volunteer as firefighters,” the study concluded. “The number of volunteers in a department significantly determines its ability to provide firefighting resources and respond to various types of other emergencies.”