A recent study by the Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY) found that volunteer firefighters in New York are saving taxpayers more than $4.7 billion each year. If all fire departments in New York were to transition to a paid department model, it would cost taxpayers an additional $8 billion to renovate existing or build new facilities to accommodate this change. It's also important to note that volunteer firefighters not only rush into burning buildings, we rescue stranded community members during severe weather events, remove patients from their vehicles after accidents, provide medical care where appropriate, and conduct hundreds of hours of training, all while also working full-time jobs. You can read more about the value of the volunteer fire service, below.