The Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) has set a goal of recruiting 16,000 new volunteer firefighters in the next four years, and they are asking local departments to prepare to act on referrals to their firehouses.

Edwards Fire Chief Dale Barker, FASNY Assistant Volunteer Programs Coordinator, notes that the deadline has passed for the first round in a program of tuition reimbursement incentive awards, developed the Higher Education Learning Plan (HELP) as an incentive for people to serve in New York’s volunteer fire service. But “it is not too soon to encourage your members to participate during the spring, 2012 semester,” Barker says.

Under the program student-volunteers will be eligible to have up to 100 percent of their tuition reimbursed in exchange for maintaining defined grades and fulfilling defined service requirements as a member in good standing in one of New York’s volunteer fire companies. There is no restriction on the type of academic course.

Interested people can go to www.fasny.com to obtain a program handbook, which includes all necessary forms to apply.

For questions on this program people can contact North Country Representative Dale Barker at dbarker@fasny.com.