Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) and the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) are encouraging residents to participate in RecruitNY weekend, a statewide open house program to attract new volunteers at local fire departments. On Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28, firehouses throughout the state will be opening their doors to offer educational opportunities, demonstrations and volunteer information.

“Our upstate volunteer firefighters are so important to keeping rural and suburban communities like ours safe, but we need more volunteers to join the ranks of these brave men and women, which is why I am helping promote RecruitNY weekend,” said Blankenbush. “I encourage anyone who has had an interest in volunteering to venture out to their local firehouse and ask how they can become involved.”

The statewide recruitment drive is set for Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28. A full listing of participating fire departments can be found at www.recruitny.org. For more specific details, residents are encouraged to contact their local fire department.

Blankenbush noted that in addition to saving lives and homes, volunteer firefighters save taxpayers roughly $7 billion annually. These volunteer programs have played an important role in combating escalating property taxes in local communities.