General Membership Questions and Answers
If you are between the ages of 16 and 65 and are a member of the community in good standing you are eligible for membership in the Guilderland Fire Department. The Guilderland Fire Department accepts into its membership anyone who meets the criteria above and who can pass a physical exam showing that they are in good health, and able to perform the duties of a volunteer fire fighter. The Guilderland Fire Department is an equal opportunity employer and is made up of men and women from many different heritages.
What duties will I be expected to perform?
Once you have been accepted by a general vote of the membership at a monthly meeting and have passed your physical exam from your doctor there are several things which will happen.
First, you will be put on a list for the New York State Essentials of Firefighting course, you will be issued a pager and set of turn out gear and given a hand out about department procedures. As a new member you will be assigned a mentor, typically a line officer such as a Lieutenant or Captain who will start teaching you some of the basics which you will need to know to get you started. At this point you will be allowed to ride along with the department to various emergencies to observe and help out where your level of training will let you.
The members of the Department meet on Monday evenings for department training. These nights are used to learn about new equipment and refresh skills.
How much time do I need to be available?
Our members all have very different lives and schedules. We understand that due to work and family obligations that there will be some drills and calls that you can not make. We simply ask our members to make as many of these calls and meetings as they can when they are around. Some of our members work 2 jobs and many are in College as well as working a full time job.
I’m interested in learning more, what should I do?
To find out more about joining the Fire Department you can either call (518) 456-5000, email the department at info@guilderlandfd.org, stop by the fire station any Monday after 6:30 PM or complete the online application below.