Monroe County is participating in a statewide recruiting effort for firefighters at a time when the number of volunteer firefighters in New York has declined for the past five years.
There are approximately 88,000 volunteer firefighters in New York State. That sounds like a large number but last year, there were more than 100,000.
According to Monroe County Fire Coordinator Sam DeRosa, local numbers dropped from 3400 last year to 2800 this year.
DeRosa says it costs the state $5,000 to $6,000 per volunteer to provide them with the appropriate customized gear for the job.
The RecruitNY initiative begins this Saturday and more than a dozen fire departments will hold open houses around the county.