Annual call for much-needed volunteers
Volunteer fire departments in Cold Spring and Garrison will host open houses on Sunday, April 30, as part of Recruit NY, a statewide initiative to bolster membership in community-based fire companies. More than 450 fire departments across the state are taking part in the event.
In Cold Spring, the Main Street firehouse will be open from noon to 4 p.m. “We’ll have all of our apparatus and firefighting equipment on display along with the history of our fire company and information about becoming a member,” said Chief Steve Smith.
The Garrison Volunteer Fire Company will hold its open house from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the firehouse at 1616 Route 9. The Continental Village firehouse at 12 Spy Pond Road will have an open house from noon to 5 p.m.
In Beacon, the firehouse at 425 Main St. will be open to visitors from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 29.
Chief Smith said a misconception about volunteering for a fire company is that there is an age limit. “Our youngest volunteer is 16 and our oldest is 80,” he said, adding that a 50-year-old man asked about becoming an associate member but thought he would be too old. But, Smith said, not every member is a firefighter and that other roles such as assisting with traffic during calls also must be filled.
