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If you have an interest in joining the department please click the button below:
Or contact us by phone or email:
Phone: 585-889-2873 (Corporate Office)
Email: volunteer@chilifire.org
Serve the town that raised you.
Serve the town that raised you.
The Chili Fire Department has been staffed by volunteers since 1931. Today, more than 100 of your neighbors, including teachers, tradespeople, students, nurses, retirees, parents, and business owners, protect roughly 29,000 residents across 27 square miles from four stations. Not one of them started as an expert. Every one of them started as someone who decided to raise their hand.
We're looking for the next group of people willing to do the same. You do not need any prior experience, a particular background, or a certain kind of body. You need to be willing to learn, willing to show up, and willing to stand next to your neighbors when it counts. We handle the rest: the training, the gear, and the support.
What you'll actually do
What you'll actually do
When most people picture the fire service, they picture flames. That's part of it, but it's a small part. Our members respond to car crashes and medical emergencies, help during storms and floods, check smoke alarms for elderly residents, teach kids about fire safety, run the Santa Run every December, and keep the trucks, equipment, and stations ready to roll. There is a role here for almost every skill set and comfort level. Some members run into burning buildings. Others keep the scene safe, drive apparatus, manage logistics, handle fundraising and community outreach, or keep our books. All of it is firefighting. All of it matters.
The training is free, and it's yours to keep.
The training is free, and it's yours to keep.
Chili provides all of your training and all of your protective gear at no cost to you. You'll learn skills most people pay thousands of dollars for: emergency medical response, fire suppression, vehicle extrication, hazardous-materials awareness, incident command, and more. New York State-certified training is nationally recognized, and many of our members have used what they learned here to launch careers in fire service, EMS, healthcare, and public safety. You come in knowing nothing. You leave every drill knowing more than you did the week before.
It fits a real life.
It fits a real life.
The number-one reason people tell us they hesitate is time. We have members with full-time jobs, families, and businesses to run. We schedule training with real life in mind, and there's no single "right" level of commitment. Your initial firefighting course will be around 140 hours. Generally this is 2 evenings a week and some Saturdays for a few months. Every Monday night we host either training or meeting. Our duty crew program also allows members to schedule shifts in 6 hours blocks at the fire station. Crews will eat together, train together and be immediately available to respond on calls. Those who aren't on a crew will respond from home to their station to get their gear, get on a fire engine and respond to the emergency call.
You won't be doing it alone.
You won't be doing it alone.
Ask any current member what keeps them here and very few will lead with the calls. They'll talk about the people. The fire service is one of the last places left where your neighbors become something closer to family: the people who show up at 3 a.m., who celebrate your milestones, who have your back on the worst day of a stranger's life and then grab breakfast together after. When you join Chili Fire, you're not filling a slot. You're joining a hundred-plus people who chose the same thing you're about to.
Not sure where you'd fit? Here are some of the things our members do
Firefighting Trained to enter structures, suppress fire, perform search and rescue, and operate on the fireground. Full state-certified training and gear provided.
Emergency Medical Services Train as an EMT to help neighbors during the scariest moments of their lives. Among the most in-demand and life-changing roles we have.
Apparatus Operator Get our trucks and equipment to the scene safely and run the pumps and aerial equipment that make everything else possible.
Support Logistics, communications, technology, fundraising, community outreach, recruitment, records, and event coordination. If you're organized, tech-savvy, or love your community, you are exactly who we need. No interior firefighting required.
Junior & Restricted Active Members (ages 13 to 17). Our youth pipeline. See the Junior & RAM page.
What You Get Back
What You Get Back
People volunteer to give, but service gives plenty back, too. Members of the Chili Fire Department receive:
Free, career-grade training and certifications. State-certified firefighting, EMS, and rescue training at no cost: credentials you keep for life and can carry into a paid career.
All protective equipment provided. Turnout gear, tools, and equipment are supplied by the department.
A New York State income tax credit for active volunteers. New York offers an annual state income tax credit for eligible active volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers.
Length of Service Award Program (LOSAP). A retirement-style benefit that rewards your years of active service: essentially a thank-you that grows the longer you serve.
Real, transferable skills. Leadership under pressure, emergency medicine, teamwork, mechanical and technical know-how: the kind of experience that stands out to employers and colleges.
A second family. Lifelong friendships and a community of people who show up for each other, on and off the fireground.
The thing money can't buy. The knowledge that when your neighbor's worst day came, you were the one who answered.
You've got questions. Good.
You've got questions. Good.
Do I need any experience? No. Most members join with zero background in firefighting or medicine. We provide all the training you need, step by step.
How much time does it take? As much or as little as you can reliably give. We have members on the front line for every call and members who contribute a few hours a month in support roles. We'll help you find a commitment level that fits your job, school, and family.
How old do I have to be? You can become a full member at 18. Teens 13 to 15 can join as Junior Members and 16 to 17-year-olds as Restricted Active Members. See our Junior & RAM program.
Do I have to live in Chili? Reach out and we'll talk through residency and district details for your situation. Don't rule yourself out before asking.
Does it cost me anything? No. Training and protective gear are provided by the department.
Am I fit enough / the right kind of person? The fire service needs many kinds of people and many kinds of strengths. Firefighting is one role among many; driving, EMS, fire police, communications, logistics, and community outreach are all essential. There's very likely a place here for you.
What if I can only help "behind the scenes"? Then we especially want to hear from you. Support and administrative members keep the whole operation running.
What's the first step? Fill out the volunteer interest form or call us. It's a conversation, not a commitment.
CHILI FIRE DEPARTMENT
3225 CHILI AVE.
ROCHESTER, NY 14624
Chili Fire Department has 4 stations
100+ Volunteers
15 Pieces of apparatus
Demographics of the Town of Chili
Population: ~29,000
Square Miles: 27
Residential
Commercial
Agriculture
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