Sixty-five percent of firefighters across the country are volunteers. In New York, it is closer to 90%. 

But in recent decades, their ranks have gotten dramatically smaller and older. 

New York Rep. Dan Goldman is hoping to reverse those recruitment trends with new legislation, shared first with Spectrum News. 

What You Need To Know

  • New York Rep. Dan Goldman is introducing legislation expanding the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, making volunteer firefighters and EMTs eligible for federal student loan forgiveness after 10 years of service and 120 qualifying payments
  • Goldman says the aim of the bill is to provide another tool to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters

  • The ranks of New York volunteer firefighters have grown dramatically smaller and older in recent decades, from 120,000 volunteers in the early 2000s to roughly 80,000 now

His bill makes volunteer firefighters and EMTs eligible for federal student loan forgiveness after 10 years of service and 120 qualifying payments. 

The legislation expands the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which already offers forgiveness to paid career firefighters and other public service workers, such as teachers and law enforcement. 

“This would both recognize their public service by giving them a benefit that other public service officials get,” Goldman said. “It would also help recruit and retain volunteer firefighters so that the smaller fire departments that rely on them have enough people to deal with emergencies when they pop up.”

For New York, the falloff in recruitment has been stark.

John D’Alessandro, a volunteer firefighter in Saratoga County and the secretary of the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, says that roughly 20 years ago, there were about 120,000 volunteers across the Empire State. 

Now, there are approximately 80,000.

“At the same time that we see [this] decrease in numbers, the number of calls that each department is facing is increasing. The complexities of those calls are increasing,” D’Alessandro said.

“If we have to come crawling on our hands and knees with buckets of water, we will come because not coming is not an option,” he said. “But it is getting more difficult.”

The rollout of Goldman’s legislation comes as the debate over student loan forgiveness remains a source of political friction in Washington and beyond. Former President Joe Biden attempted various initiatives aimed at providing forgiveness, though faced legal challenges.

But D’Alessandro, who supports Goldman’s bill, argues labeling this proposal “forgiveness” is inaccurate. 

“The volunteer fire service saves New York taxpayers $3.8 billion a year just in salaries and benefits alone, because we can't be compensated,” he said. “This is student loan investment. You're getting something significant, and frankly, you're getting a return of much higher value.”

The legislation is in its earliest stages on Capitol Hill, and a cost estimate is not available. 

Goldman admits he is not optimistic that much will get done in a Republican-controlled Congress, but he expressed some hope Republicans from districts that rely on volunteer firefighters will see the value of the proposal.