Do you think Dutchess County should follow the good example of Rockland County with these three common-sense initiatives for fire and rescue squad volunteers?

1. A $10 million capital fund for affordable housing.

2. A 10 percent break (up to $3,000 a year) for volunteers on the county portion of their taxes (note-- this is what Rockland is doing; our break for volunteers should be much bigger).

3. A $50,000 college scholarship fund for volunteers (again, our own county's program could and should be bigger than this).

These three initiatives (already being put into place in Rockland) are the right thing to do; they also help local towns keep their local volunteer forces-- instead of being force to shift to a paid force, and much higher local taxes from this.

Note-- Rockland County has almost exactly the same number of people living there as we do here in Dutchess County.

We should delay no longer in helping our fire and rescue squad volunteers the same way Rockland has.

If you feel the same way, please sign this petition, print it out, and email it and send it to all your friends.

You can also help make it reality by contacting our County Legislature at CountyLegislature@co.dutchess.ny.us or 486-2100.

Joel Tyner
County Legislator
Clinton/Rhinebeck
324 Browns Pond Road
Staatsburg, NY 12580
joeltyner@earthlink.net
(845) 876-2488

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The text below is from "Rockland Communities Need Homes for Volunteers"
by Gerald McKinstry/The Journal News (12/29/05)
[NYJournalNews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051229/NEWS03/512290323/1017]

The County of Rockland this year created a task force on affordable housing and is expected to create a $10 million capital fund for such housing. Additionally, it passed a law giving a 10 percent break up to $3,000 a year for volunteers on the county portion of their taxes. Rockland also has a $50,000 college scholarship fund in the 2006 budget, said C.J. Miller, spokeswoman for the county executive.

Large-scale development, a housing market boom and a growing population may be good for Rockland's economy, but some emergency service volunteers say those factors make for an expensive scenario if more isn't done to keep them in the county.

U.S. Census figures show Rockland's population grew to 293,626, a 10.4 percent gain since 1990. With a real estate market that has the median price of a house reaching $537,000, up $128,000 from three years ago, many of the county's 4,000 volunteers find it increasingly difficult to work and live here.

"All agencies are feeling the pains of increased development," said Kim Lippes, Rockland County EMS coordinator. "It's going to put a strain on our existing services."

Lippes said the 14 volunteer ambulance corps had an 8 to 12 percent spike in calls this year. With a 30 percent decline in volunteers in recent years, she said some ambulance corps occasionally have had to hire hourly workers to supplement coverage.

Frank Hutton, a Nanuet firefighter since 1966 and vice chairman of the Committee to Promote Volunteerism in Rockland County Emergency Services, said an underlying problem with many new developments is that they do not produce volunteers. They also attract people from outside the county, who may think emergency services are paid.

"All it is, is another package we support, but there's no resources from there we can pull," Hutton said. "Historically, departments have attracted younger people, but because it's so expensive, they either move or spend more time working."

For every 300 units built, Hutton estimated a 5 percent increase in calls or about 325 per year countywide. Hutton said that could force the county to go to paid departments, which he estimated could cost as much as $130 million annually.

Rockland fire departments responded to 8,183 calls from January to November, according the county's fire control center.

Gordon Wren Jr., Rockland County's Fire Coordinator, said the situation necessitated action.

"There's definitely a change in demographics, and it's affecting us," Wren said, citing how he didn't think a property owner who paid $25,000 a year in taxes for a new house was likely to volunteer. "Historically, the fire departments have been made up of blue-collar."

Wren said the county had just under 3,000 volunteer firefighters, but only half remained active or were able to enter burning buildings. Although the number of volunteers was up slightly, Wren said too many young people have left.

"It's extremely common to see people in their 20s moving to Orange County," Wren said.

Arthur Albanese, a 13-year Pearl River volunteer, may be a casualty of the market if affordable housing doesn't soon become available. Although the 28-year-old, who is slated to become an assistant chief in April, now lives with his parents, home ownership in the hamlet remained out of reach.

"I'm trying to save every dime. It's going to be really hard," Albanese said.