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Need for firefighters fire up: Volunteer departments host open houses across NY

Posted at 11:23 AM, Apr 28, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-29 18:25:18-04

Fire houses across New York opened their doors to the public for a full weekend as part of a statewide effort to up the number of volunteer firefighters.

The open houses took place Saturday, April 28th and Sunday, April 29th. 

More than 20 fire houses in Erie County participated in the initiative. There several fire companies also took part in Niagara, Chautauqua, and Cattaraugus Counties.

Pine Hill Hose Company no. 5 was one of the fire companies taking part, and received two signups within the first hour of its Sunday open house.

Chief Daniel Malkowski says he was hoping to boost his 20-firefighter team as much as he could.

"If I get one volunteer today, it's a success," Malkowski said. "If you ask any fire chief how many volunteers he would like, he would like 100 volunteers."

If you missed your local open house but are still interested in volunteering, click here to find your local department.

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