Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced that new funds will be made available to provide stipends to volunteer firefighters in the state receiving training. The Volunteer Firefighter Training Stipend program is expanding to offset costs for additional training courses available to volunteer firefighters. Since 2023, more than 4,000 volunteer firefighters have successfully completed training through the program.
“This program makes critical training more accessible, allowing our volunteers to grow in their careers without sacrificing their ability to provide for their families,” Hochul said. “I’m proud to invest in our volunteer firefighters who put their lives on the line to keep New Yorkers safe.”
New York State Association of Fire Chiefs CEO Bruce Heberer said, “Proper training keeps our firefighters and our communities safer and at a time when our volunteer agencies are strained, and every dollar counts. The volunteer training stipends are a vital resource of income to the members of our fire services so that they can focus on their training, instead worrying about how they are going to make ends meet if the training causes them to miss work, allowing them to continue serve their department and take care of their home life.”
The new courses and stipend amounts that volunteer firefighters can receive are:
Firefighter Survival: Self Rescue: This course teaches firefighters how to rescue themselves if they become trapped or compromised during a fire incident. Stipend Amount: $250.
Firefighter Assist and Search Team, and Rapid Intervention Crew: These courses are designed to train firefighters in the critical skills needed to rescue fellow firefighters who are trapped or in distress during an incident.Stipend Amount: $350.
Fire and Emergency Services Instructor 1, Fire Officer II, and Firefighter 2: These courses are advanced leadership and instructor development programs. They aim to enhance the leadership capabilities of fire department members and improve their effectiveness in incident command roles, ultimately contributing to the safety of firefighters. Stipend Amount: $500.
New York State County Fire Coordinators Association President Bill Streicher said, “Now more than ever, it is vital that we support our volunteer fire organizations to boost recruitment and retention within the fire service across New York State. These stipends serve to promote and strengthen the fire service across our state while providing a small stipend to firefighters who participate in these classes, to better prepare themselves to serve their communities.”
