On May 31, Pleasantville children and parents alike crowded the streets, excitedly watching our volunteer firefighters and their fire trucks parade through the town in the annual Fireman’s Day parade. However, being a volunteer firefighter isn’t just parades and celebrations. Our local volunteers work hard every day to ensure the safety of their community members. Whether they’re responding to a house fire, a carbon monoxide detector going off, accidents, or downed wires after a storm, the brave Pleasantville volunteer firemen selflessly sacrifice their time, and often safety, to keep their friends and neighbors out of harm’s way. Each year, the parade presents a way for the community to honor the men and women who risk their lives to keep everyone safe.
This year, the parade coincided with some local news pertaining to helping spur volunteer efforts. In order to make volunteer firefighting an equal opportunity for all who choose to be involved, NYS Senator Pete Harckham recently announced the passage of two new bills by the New York State Senate. These bills, S5418 and S5419, both aim to protect volunteer firefighter disability benefits in order to make sure that they will have access to critical disability benefits and medical treatments warranted by their duties. It is important that the NYS Senate passed these bills as it acknowledges the peril volunteer firemen put themselves into every day in order to save the lives of others. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for the Pleasantville Fire Department, applications are available online through their website, pleasantvillefire.org.
