ERIE COUNTY, N.Y. — With volunteer firefighter and ambulance worker numbers continuing to plummet statewide, Erie County legislators are preparing to come to their aid.
The legislature will vote on new legislation Thursday that would provide a 10% property tax exemption to all volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers in the county.
“Providing an additional tool for retention and recruitment is vital to keeping these organizations operating,” Erie County Legislator Chris Greene said.
The vote comes four months after lawmakers in Albany passed a policy allowing counties to opt-in to provide volunteer first responders with a maximum 10% tax break after two years of service — a much-needed sigh of relief for volunteers like David Morales.
“It's a very rewarding time commitment, but for somebody that's got a family or a job with unusual hours, sometimes it can be a little bit of a stretch,” Lt. David Morales of Getzville Fire Company said. “So any kind of help that we can get, whether it be monetary or any kind of tax break, we really appreciate that.”
But Morales tells 2 On Your Side that recruitment numbers aren’t the only problem.
Some departments are struggling to retain volunteers due to inflation elevating the cost of living
“If you are unable to live in your district, you're not going to be serving there, and that can be a big detriment if you're being priced out of your area,” Morales said.
While the benefit may seem small, firefighters say its impact on recruitment could cut down EMS response times — not only rewarding them but the people they serve.
“The firemen are the last thing that people think about when they want to volunteer, but as soon as they need them, they're the first people that come to help,” Erie County Legislator Jim Malczewski said.
Legislators are expecting bipartisan agreement on the law and that it will pass easily in Tuesday’s vote.