Croton Falls Fire Department seeks new members

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - The Croton Falls Fire Department is looking for folks to join its family of community-minded volunteers.

Each year, the CFFD responds to nearly 800 emergency calls, including medical assists, car accidents, animal rescues, electrical hazards, fire alarms, and structure fires.

This past March, it responded to 49 alarms. Those included five motor vehicle accidents, five structure fires, including one in Somers; four mutual aid requests, two brush fires, one reported extrication, one motor vehicle fire, and one inside investigation.

It’s a “home response” department, meaning that members aren’t required to staff each fire station in order to respond to calls.

When dispatched, they report to one of its two firehouses, get into their gear, hop a truck, and dash to the scene.

There also is no requirement for members to be “on call.” They respond to an incident based on their availability.

Each member gets his or her own set of fire gear.

New recruits are provided with in-house training and can also take state or county sponsored firefighting certification – exterior or interior –courses.

Once they complete the basic exterior firefighting course, aka BEFO, they can enroll in the interior firefighting classes (IFO).

They must complete a probationary period and state training courses, they will be cleared – based on their level of certification.

Besides responding to emergencies and taking part in training, members attend things such as monthly meetings, recruitment and fire prevention events, fire department picnics and parades, baseball games, and more.

Monthly meetings are held on the third Monday of each month. In-house training is hosted on all the other Mondays.

The Basics

The CFFD protects approximately 5,000 people living in a 25-square-mile area in the northeastern corner of Westchester County. The primarily residential district covers the Town of North Salem and parts of the towns of Carmel and Southeast.

It does not transport patients to the hospital but instead works closely with the North Salem Volunteer Ambulance Corps and Westchester EMS.

It operates out of two stations, one on Sun Valley Drive in the hamlet of Croton Falls, and the other on Titicus Road.

Members get the chance to reduce their property tax bills.

Firefighters who accumulate at least 50 points per year can save 10 percent on that. Points are a way of measuring each member’s activity. Any time they respond to an incident, gather for training, or attend a meeting, they get one point. A monthly report showing each firefighter’s total is available online and a year-end tally is posted for all members.

Requirements

To join the CFFD, candidates must live or work in the district, be at least 16 years old, and pass a medical exam and background check.

They must also exhibit traits such as a “good work ethic, strong devotion, motivation to learn and serve, and excellent teamwork.”

'Life Gets Busy'

Considering that it’s a 100 percent volunteer organization, the CFFD’s members all have careers outside of their fire service.

They are attorneys, financial advisors, contractors, town employees, teachers, fire/EMA dispatchers, corporate executives, students, etc.

They may do different things for a living, but they all “share a common desire to serve their community and respond to those in need,” according to CFFD spokesperson Jared Hirschberg.

The fire department understands “that life gets busy,” so it appreciates “any amount of time that can be volunteered,” he said, urging folks to consider joining and starting their “journey with the Croton Falls Fire Department.”

Good to Know

For more information, visit www.crotonfallsfire.com.

To follow the CFFD on social media, go to: Instagram: @crotonfallsfire; Facebook: Croton Falls Fire Department.

Non-emergency calls (headquarters) can be made to (914) 277-3870 or Station 2 at (914) 669-5544.  Emails can be sent to info@crotonfallsfire.com.