Firefighters are back at work again at the North Amityville Firehouse.

The volunteer fire department was shut down by the Town of Babylon in January. They are now operating better than ever.

Prior to the shutdown, it would take up to an hour for firefighters to respond to some calls. They are now doing so in just minutes.

The delayed response times are just one of the reasons why the North Amityville Firehouse was forced to close by the Town of Babylon. There were also allegations of mismanagement of funds, sexual harassment and violence.

Frank Leeb is a consultant hired by the town to fix the department.

“They just needed a little guidance along the way,” Leeb says.

Since his arrival, they have grown from approximately 15 core volunteer firefighters to 25.

They have also taken on more paid EMTs, going from just five to 28.

The fire department is now able to handle every call that comes its way while they used to need help from neighboring communities.

Leeb says they didn’t respond to 35% of their calls in 2021, according to the Town of Babylon.

“This year, our of 154 calls, they’ve answered every single one of them,” Leeb says. “So obviously that’s pretty impressive.”

The department is focusing on recruiting even more members and even to start a junior firefighter program.

The program would teach teens what it is like to be a hero on their own neighborhood.

“When you start younger, a lot of these kids you retain them more,” says Chief Thomas Nelson. “And it gives them an outlet, to say I’m doing something good for my community. I’m giving back to my community.”

The fire department is hosting an open house event this weekend at the fire house on Broadway in North Amityville.

The event is happening both days of the weekend from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.