top of page
Capture.JPG

HOW TO JOIN

Fire Safety Is Our Priority

The GBFD is Looking for You

The Gerrittsen Beach Volunteer Fire Department is actively seeking local and resident firefighters, emergency medical technicians & administrative members. Training is provided..

CLICK HERE – Fill out the Application

Basic Requirements

Getting started with the GBFD is easy …

  • At least 16 years of age

  • No prior training required for new members

  • Complete application to include full criminal background check (usually takes 4-6 weeks to complete)

  • Completion of basic orientation training, including CPR, OSHA.

  • Participation in our duty shift program, one three-hour block per week.

  • Attendance at monthly meetings and occasional special events

We help children, adults, and the community through thousands of flexibly scheduled, hands-on projects, including:

  • Flexible – Many of our projects are ongoing and require no commitment; simply volunteer as much as you can.

  • Short-term – Certain jobs, such as dispatching, require three hour a week commitments.

  • Long-term – Becoming a EMT require longer commitments, from six months to a full year.

EMT – Course offered at GBFD

  • Complete the Application for Emergency Medical Services Certification, including affirmation regarding criminal convictions

  • Successfully complete an approved New York State EMT-B or AEMT course

  • Achieve a passing score on the practical and written certification examinations

  • Must be at least 18 years of age by the end of the month in which they are scheduled to take the written certification examination

  • Knowledge and Skills required show need for high school or equivalent education

  • Ability to work with other providers to make appropriate patient care decisions

Exterior Firefighter

Exterior firefighters perform all fire suppression skills except for using self-contained breathing apparatus to enter hazardous atmospheres or actively burning buildings. This includes advancing and operating hose lines, deploying ladders, operating pumps, securing a water supply, extricating trapped victims from wrecked vehicles, fighting grass & brush fires, and protecting neighboring structures from a fire. Most of our calls do not involve entering a burning structure and require only exterior firefighting skills; further, the actions of interior firefighters would be impossible without extensive support from exterior personnel.

Interior Firefighter

Only a few of our members are interior firefighters, trained to do what everyone thinks of firefighters doing: enter burning buildings to rescue trapped victims and put out the fire. Additionally, their training to use self-contained breathing apparatus enables them to get close to the toxic smoke produced by vehicle fires, or to deal with gas leaks or carbon monoxide problems.


Want more information on becoming part of the GBFD? Just Complete the Form on the top of this page and an appropriate representative from the GBFD will get in touch with you.

The Gerrittsen Beach Fire Department needs volunteers to bridge the gaps and shorten our response times. The GBFD creates hundreds of ways each month for you to get involved and start changing lives.

bottom of page