Question about Volunteer Firemen

Just wondering-- me and my office mate are talking about this. Do volunteer firemen on LI get any benefits? Are there any paid members of the fire dept?

Just curious.

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

It's dependent on the actual town/dept if they're paid, volunteer, etc. Our twon - where my husband is a volunteer has both paid and volunteer firemen - although the volunteers number a lot higher than the paid guys. Benefits? He has some insurance policy from them that (g-d forbid) if something happened to him - I'd get a whopping $300 a year (or something like that)

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

thanks-- $300 wow... You would think you would get more than that!

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

My FIL was a volunteer fireman for Valley Stream and did it for almost 40 years. He does have some type of benefit package with them but I am not sure how much. DH was also a volunteer fireman for the same company and he also has a policy.

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

Message edited 6/12/2007 12:49:58 PM.

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

Volunteers on Long Island receive a penion at their retirement from active duty.

The pension is not a lot of money and is based on active years of service.

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

It depends on the district. Most do not have paid firefighters, but many have paid paramedics.
The volunteers get no benefits except for (maybe) a small tax break, and (maybe) a tiny pension (like $100/year).
Thats why (and not to stir up and arguments here) its not totally out of line for them to recieve SOME things like dinners or sweatshirts or a drill team.

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

my dad is a volunteer fireman and he doesnt get any that i know of.

but the firehouse does throw parties and buys the kids presents for christmas and stuff.... but other than that, i dont think so. he works for a really small dept, Central Islip (even though he lives in hauppauge)

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

my town has some paid day-time emt/paramedics since most people work during the day. There are no actual firemen in our district that are paid. As someone else posted there is an insurance policy and a tiny pension if you put in enough years.

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

Like everyone said, benefits depend on the department and how they allocate their money. 10 years as an active volunteer and I got nothing in the way of medical/pension/life.

There are many depts that have resorted to paying professionals because they can't staff the trucks/ambulance during the day. In Nassau at least there is the Nassau County Police Ambulance to pick up the slack (which you would pay for) but I don't think Suffolk has one.

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

I think the $100/year figure is a litte off. My DH is a volunteer and after 35-40 years of volunteering, he is scheduled to received somewhere between $650 and $800/month at retirement.

This is a state funded pension I believe, not local or county.

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

FIL did it for 40 years that he is an honoary Fire Chief because of all his years of service.

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

They used to get free or discounted drinks at the local bar by me!!


Seriously-I know you get a discount on your taxes.

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

I have no idea, but my FIL was one for like 40 years in Cedarhurst and thehouse house came to the funeral and did a ceremony which was really cool. My DH and his brothers also got quite a bit of money. Not sure if it was from a pension or a donation.

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

Posted by hazeleyes33

They used to get free or discounted drinks at the local bar by me!!


Seriously-I know you get a discount on your taxes.

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

Posted by mrswask

Posted by hazeleyes33

They used to get free or discounted drinks at the local bar by me!!


Seriously-I know you get a discount on your taxes.

My DH does not get a discount on our taxes

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

In the town I grew up in, I am fairly certain that there was health insurance (not sure if they had to pay a portion but I didn't think so) and there was a property tax break. There is coverage for all volunteer firefighters, similar to Workers' Comp if the firefighter should get hurt volunteering.

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

Posted by mrswask

It's dependent on the actual town/dept if they're paid, volunteer, etc. Our twon - where my husband is a volunteer has both paid and volunteer firemen - although the volunteers number a lot higher than the paid guys. Benefits? He has some insurance policy from them that (g-d forbid) if something happened to him - I'd get a whopping $300 a year (or something like that)

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

Check it out:

Nassau County tax break for volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers

There are rules, you must be a volly for 5 years in the town that you live in, be able to prove it... But for long-term members, this shouldn't be an issue considering that most (if not all) FD's already require you to be within a certain # of miles from the firehouse you're a member of.

As for ambulance corps, you get the shaft if it's not in the same town you live in.

eta:

This is the only thing I could find for Suffolk County (it's a PDF and takes a minute to open)

The site it came from is Southampton but it says Suffolk County on it, so it looks like it applies to the whole county? I'm not sure.

Message edited 6/13/2007 7:39:24 AM.

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

Yeah - I knew about the property tax break, but we don't own a house, so no tax break for us!

Re: Question about Volunteer Firemen

Where I am at the end of suffolk, we are all volunteer depts...we get a small tax break on our land taxes, and they do get a really small retirement as well.