Archive: News

When you call 911 for a fire or medical emergency in the Town or Village of Lansing the first responders are almost certainly going to be fellow residents of the town.  These responders are not paid.  They do it for the love of firefighting or Emergency Medical Response (EMS) work, and to give back to the community.  In an era when it is harder for local fire departments to recruit volunteers, New York State allows departments to offer service awards to help volunteer fire departments recruit and retain volunteers. 

This year 25 Lansing volunteers participated enough to earn service awards.  The maximum the State allows (per year) is $700," says Fire Commissioner Chairman Robert Wagner.  "That's what our rate is."


Service awards are a kind of retirement plan that is earned by getting points for active participation.  Each year Lansing volunteers earn points for participating in department events, and those who earn 55 or more get a service award for the year.  They may earn up to 25 points for responding to emergency calls, 1 point for department meetings attended, up to 15 points for work details (checking trucks, cleaning stations, etc.), points for being an officer, and so on.  There are requirements for staying in the program, and money can not be drawn from the program until the recipient turns fifty nine and a half years old.

Training is also a big time commitment for volunteers.  Lansing responders get some of their training locally, and some regionally and even out of state.  That makes a big difference in saving residents' lives as well as their own.  According to a National Fire Protection Association Journal report the average number of firefighter deaths have dropped by one third in the past 30 years.  The report adds that firefighters are better at saving civilians than they are at saving themselves.  114 U.S. firefighters lost their lives in 2008, seven of them in New York State.  Last year Lansing emergency responders received 1098 911 calls, just over half for medical emergencies and the rest for fires.


When New York State began allowing service awards in 1989 they were limited to $480.  In 2004 Governor Pataki signed a bill that  increased the maximum service awards payments to $700.  Districts in New York State have more than 500 service awards programs in operation with over a quarter of a billion dollars invested. 

Lansing Fire Chief Scott Purcell sees service awards as a way of tracking who is contributing most to the department.  "We have about 60 emergency responders who are qualified to go on calls, but you'll typically see in the service awards every year it's the same 20 to 25 people," he notes.  "We have about 25 people we can count on on a regular basis."


When you consider what it would cost Lansing to maintain a professional fire department, service awards are a bargain.  They provide a modest way for the community to thank citizens who put their lives on the line, as well as a little added encouragement for volunteers to join and stay in the department.

Purcell handed the point tallies to Lansing Fire Commissioners last month, after which the district was required by law to post the names for 30 days before finalizing the awards.  Actual payment to the accounts will take place a few months from now.

----
v5i10