Fire Chief:
Christopher Weaver
Email: firechief@sjvny.org
Non-Emergency Phone #: 518-568-7996
Location: 6 W. Main St., St. Johnsville, NY
Meetings:
Drills & Training: Every Monday night at 7:00pm
Monthly Meetings: Last Monday of the month at 7:30pm
Established in 1878, the St. Johnsville Fire Department service area includes Montgomery County, Herkimer County and Fulton County. We serve a total of 7 Townships and 1 Village. Central Station is located at 6 West Main Street and houses Engine 1, Engine 3, Engine 6, Tower 1, Brush 2, Field Comm., and a 5000psi Bauer Breathing air Compressor. The Special Operations Station houses 2 personal watercraft, 1 Zodiac rescue boat, 1 ATV and the Special Operations Response Unit. The Fire Department's Dive Rescue and Recovery Unit is the primary dive team for both Montgomery and Herkimer Counties.
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Becoming A Volunteer Firefighter
Volunteering for your local fire department as a firefighter or EMT can be one of the most rewarding and enjoyable things you can do. Being a volunteer will enrich your life and allow you to give back to your community.
Firefighters are an essential member of their community and the scope of their work stretches far beyond what normally comes to mind. Yes, they do fight fires, but they also respond to medical emergencies, aid in search and rescue efforts, help with traffic control, and provide public safety.
Firefighters should be physically fit. Strength and stamina is needed to carry out duties that are sometimes long and difficult. Firefighter should also be committed to excellence. Having compassion and the drive to perform to the best of your ability, taking pride in your work, and understanding that "good enough" is not always good enough are essential qualities of a firefighter. Firefighters should also be able to work well with others, handle stressful situations, be problem solvers, and work well with your hands and tools.
Some perks of becoming a firefighter are gaining respect in your community, gaining skills that you can use outside of the workplace, making new friends and becoming part of the team, being there for friends, neighbors, and your community in their time of need, and a tax credit from the state just to name a few.
To become a firefighter, you would first joing the department of the community you reside in. You will be given a 1 year timeline to get enrolled into a BEFO class. BEFO stands for Basic Exterior Firefighter Operations. BEFO classes are roughly 80 hours to complete. If you're interested in becoming an interior firefighter, you would continue with the interior portion of the class which would be roughly an additional 70 hours to complete. In all, there are 145 hours worth of classes that you would need to take to be fully trained. There are blended classes where you do a portion online and in-person training. All classes are free to attend with written permission to attend by your fire chief.
Gear is provided by the department.
You are not required to drive any apparatus, but will be trained in-house if you choose to do so. A valid driver's license is required. A CDL in not required.
It is not mandatory to make every call as this is a volunteer position. It is not mandatory to make every weekly training, but it is highly recommended to stay updated on in-house training. It is not mandatory to make every monthly meeting, but you do need to make a percentage of them to remain an active member.
If anyone is interested in joining and wishes to meet up with a local firefighter or the fire chief to discuss options and get some more information, you are encouraged to stop by the Fire House on Monday nights at 7pm. You are also welcome to email the fire chief or call the Fire House using the contact information above.
Open Burning and the NYS Burn Ban
Open burning is the single greatest cause of wildfires in NYS. Open burning is regulated under Part 215. Part 215 describes the types of fires that are allowed and the materials that may be burned in an open fire. Towns, villages, cities, and counties can pass ordinances that are stricter than Part 215. You should check with local authorities before having an open fire to find out if local law requires a permit or prohibits open fires.
The following types of open fires are allowed in NYS. All fires must consist of only charcoal or dry, clean, untreated, and unpainted wood.
- Campfires, small cooking fires, or any other outdoor fire less than 3 feet in height and 4 feet in length, width, or diameter.
- Ceremonial or celebratory bonfires, including the disposal of flags or religious items if it is not otherwise prohibited by law or regulation.
- For most of the year, downed tree limbs and branches (also called brush) that are less than 6 inches in diameter and 8 feet in length, including branches with attached leaves, are allowed to be burned on-site in towns with a total population less than 20,000 residents.
The burning of brush is prohibited from March 16 to May 14 due to the increased risk of wildfires.
The following is prohibited according to the NYS Open Burning Law.
- Burning refuse, trash, tires, and other solid wastes. This includes burning trash or other solid wastes in a burn barrel or similar device.
- Burning loose leaves or leaf piles.
- Burning pressure or chemically treated wood, painted or stained wood, or composite wood such as plywood and particle board. Firewood that has been heat treated or kiln dried is allowed to be burned.
- The practice of burning large piles of brush collected from local residents at town or county transfer sites. The individual landowners in small towns may burn their brush on-site, as discussed above. Downed limbs and branches generated at a transfer site are also allowed to be burned on-site with the same restrictions.
More information on the NYS Open Burning Law can be found at https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/air-quality/open-burning.
Additionally, the Board of Trustees adopted Local Law No. 3 of 2021 to regulate outdoor fires and burning within the Village. More information on this local law can be found below.
Local Law No. 3 of 2021 - Requirements Regarding Fire Pit Burning
