Lewiston Fire Co. No. 1 announces new recruitment, retention campaign

Lewiston Fire Co. No. 1 recently announced a new recruitment and retention initiative aimed to improve staffing. According to a fire company press release, this new category of membership allows for the recruitment of perspective members and retention of current members who are very busy or live out of Lewiston No. 1’s service district.

Under the new arrangement, fire company members can now schedule their duty time to satisfy membership requirements instead of a call response percentage, which is uncontrollable.

What does this mean for a potential or current member? If they can dedicate 16-24 hours of service per month to fire and EMS service, they are very much welcomed to join Lewiston No. 1.

“Lewiston 1 is proud to be one of the first Niagara County companies pioneering such an initiative,” said Barry Beebe, Lewiston No. 1 president. “With the shortage of volunteers, we had to come up with an innovative way to help staff our rigs. The hope is that this will open the door for more volunteers ready and able to respond to your emergency. Fire companies around NYS, as close as Erie County, have had great success with these types of changes, and we hope to mirror that for our community.”

Located on North Sixth Street in the Village of Lewiston, the recently renovated Lewiston No. 1 fire station is outfitted with sleeping quarters, a fitness center, full kitchen and lounge area, which allows for those from out of the immediate area to volunteer in the comforts of the station – or those who live close, from home.

“Lewiston 1, along with every volunteer fire and EMS agency, are always recruiting, join today!” the press release stated.

“I am very proud of our company’s dedication to the community in which we serve,” EMS Chief Matthew Grainge said. “This is another progressive move to continue serving the Town and Village of Lewiston. We currently operate two ALS-paramedic-level ambulances and a response truck. As volunteerism around the country continues to struggle, Lewiston 1 feels it, too. Our hope is that a duty hour program, along with many other incentives, will help bring in new applicants – especially those EMT and paramedic inclined! All training and recertification is provided.”

Fire Chief Spencer Lilly called the fire company’s new arrangement a benefit for Lewiston No. 1 and for the community.

“Being a volunteer firefighter and EMT is becoming more and more demanding,” Lilly said. “With increased training requirements and call response, time dedication away from your family can be challenging. Allowing members to schedule their duty time on a monthly basis is a win-win. Planned participation and proactive staffing for emergency calls helps us help you.

“We invite all interested or just looking to learn more, to contact us today, or visit www.lfd1.com.”

Lewiston Fire Co. No. 1 is staffed 100% by volunteers from the community. When a call goes out, members drop what they are doing, leaving their families, and work to respond to emergencies in the area. On top of responding to calls, members are continuously training to bring the best quality service to residents when needed most.

No experience is necessary, and all training is provided free. Visit www.lfd1.com to download an application, or email [email protected] for more information.