Governor Hochul announces expansion of New York’s volunteer firefighting training stipend

ALBANY, NY- Governor Kathy Hochul has announced New York’s Volunteer Firefighter Training Stipend program is expanding to offset costs for five additional training courses available to volunteer firefighters.

New York State created the program to strengthen the volunteer fire service and address recruitment and retention challenges by offsetting the costs of required training that individuals need to become a firefighter.

This expansion will help reduce obstacles preventing volunteer firefighters from advancing their careers.

Since 2023, more than 4,000 volunteer firefighters have successfully completed training through the program.

These five courses build on the catalog of trainings that are already stipend-eligible: Basic Wildland Fire Suppression ($250) Basic Exterior Firefighting Operations ($750), Fire Officer 1 ($1,000) and Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus/Interior Firefighting Operations ($1,250).

“Since taking office, I’ve been laser-focused on making New York safer and more affordable. By expanding the Volunteer Firefighter Training Stipend program, we’re doing both – cutting costs for those who serve while enhancing their lifesaving skills,” Governor Hochul said.

“This program makes critical training more accessible, allowing our volunteers to grow in their careers without sacrificing their ability to provide for their families. I’m proud to invest in our volunteer firefighters who put their lives on the line to keep New Yorkers safe.”

The new stipend-eligible courses and course equivalencies are:

• Firefighter Survival: Self Rescue: This course teaches firefighters how to rescue themselves if they become trapped or compromised during a fire incident. Stipend Amount: $250.
• Firefighter Assist and Search Team, and Rapid Intervention Crew: These courses are designed to train firefighters in the critical skills needed to rescue fellow firefighters who are trapped or in distress during an incident. Stipend Amount: $350.
• Fire and Emergency Services Instructor 1, Fire Officer II, and Firefighter 2: These courses are advanced leadership and instructor development programs. They aim to enhance the leadership capabilities of fire department members and improve their effectiveness in incident command roles, ultimately contributing to the safety of firefighters. Stipend Amount: $500.

“Proper training keeps our firefighters and our communities safer and at a time when our volunteer agencies are strained, and every dollar counts," said New York State Association of Fire Chiefs CEO Bruce Heberer.

"The Volunteer training stipends are a vital resource of income to the members of our fire services so that they can focus on their training, instead worrying about how they are going to make ends meet if the training causes them to miss work, allowing them to continue serve their department and take care of their home life!”

Image via the office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul.