Nassau County officials ask for volunteers as fire department is forced to close
Nassau Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro says Nassau County used to have more than 10,000 volunteer firefighters, but now they have fewer than 7,000.
More Stories
Fire departments across the country are facing a concerning shortage of volunteers.
Some departments, like the 100-year-old Floral Park Centre Fire Company, dissolved because they couldn’t keep up with demand.
Nassau Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro says Nassau County used to have more than 10,000 volunteer firefighters, but now they have fewer than 7,000.
“When you look at the fact that Nassau County has got 1.5 million residents, and we only have about 7,000 volunteer firefighters and EMTs, there's definitely a disparity,” Uttaro said. “More people need to step up and be involved in your community. Get to know your neighbors. And the most important thing is you get to help somebody out, and in some cases, maybe even save a life.”
Fire officials say they’re working hard on recruitment, but increased training requirements, while safer, are making it harder for people to get involved.
The rising cost of living leaves many people with little time to volunteer outside of their day-to-day jobs.
“People have two jobs, sometimes three jobs,” Uttaro said. “So that available time to train, get on the fire trucks, and protect the community isn’t there.”
Uttaro says that despite needing more volunteers, dependability hasn’t decreased for the community.
