Gasport Fire-Rescue

05/10/2026

04/27/2026

Ok folks still have some tickets for the Gasport Ladies Auxiliary. The raffle is going to be pulled live on Facebook at 5. If you would like tickets please reach out to me

04/14/2026

The annual Recruit NY is this weekend, where fire departments all over the state hold open houses to host kids, adults, families, all in an effort to recruit new members! These open houses usually have food, demos of equipment and swag! Unfortunately, we will not be participating, and the truth behind why stings:

We dont have the people.

Our limited amount of members work their tails off to respond to our many emergency calls, which is priority number 1. Keeping the hall maintained is priority number 2. We love doing community engagement and recruitment but with the same limited personnel keeping up with priorities 1 & 2, everything else has to fall to the wayside because we just run out of steam sometimes, and we have our own families to take care off, just like you.

We have tried to host community events for recruitment and have tried different ways of doing it, even as recently as last October, but the turnout year after year has been close to zero. With the amount of time and effort our limited personel put into those events to have a handful of people show up each year is taxing as well, which is also why we are not participating in the statewide event this year.

Its a sad and scary fact that we dont have enough people to hold a relatively simple event like this right now. Its even sadder and scarier that its not getting better. No one is willing to step up to sacrifice some of their time for the benefit of the community. Time is one of the biggest reasons we hear for people being unwilling to help..we get it, it is absolutely a time committment most people really arent accustomed to, but how do you know you cant do it if you dont even ask? There is a minimum amount of time required to be involved but after that, its all what you can and are willing to "donate" time-wise, and the more members there are, the less burden there is for EVERYONE.

We dont want to upset the members of the community with such a dark post (we always appreciate the community support and are lucky to have that!). However, membership levels are at an all time low and we cant keep beating around the bush..

We're dying, and we need help.

If you are able, if you know someone who is able, if you know someone who knows someone who is able, please...consider joining. Please have a conversation with us. You might discover a fulfillment that you didnt know needed fulfilling.

03/26/2026

Please read our last post for some well written words shared from Bergen FD. And please..let the second sentence of their post sink in. Let it marinate and hit you like a ton of bricks.

"We are running out of people."

That sentence is being said by a fire department bigger than us over in Gasport - where do you think WE fall with membership numbers?

Most people take volunteer fire departments for granted because well, if they call 911, someone shows up. But what happens when there is no one left to show up?

We always appreciate community support, but we are at the point where we need the people more. We need butts in seats and people in gear. We need members of our community to step up and say, you know what? Maybe ill give that a try! We need people because if the volunteer fire service numbers keep plummiting as they have been the past 10, 15, 20 years...we WILL be out of people. And you (our community that we serve) will be left to foot the bill for some type of paid service, because fire protection and EMS are critical, non-negotiable services. And we promise you, that bill will not be cheap. You think things are expensive now...

Please, if you are able, take the leap and step up. All it takes is a handful of people out of the thousands in our area. You dont even need to live in Gasport or our district, we are all in need of members so badly that we need to accept help from people in neighboring districts or towns (within reason and with discretion of course).

Please consider stepping up and helping the people who help you. Reach out to us on this page or come to our hall any thursday night at 7pm.

03/26/2026

A letter to the Bergen and surrounding communities.

We’re running out of people.

This isn’t a problem unique to one town or one firehouse. It’s happening everywhere.

Across our communities, the number of people willing and able to volunteer is shrinking. At the same time, the calls are not slowing down. If anything, they’re increasing. More emergencies. More need. Fewer people stepping forward to meet it.

Inside the firehouse, that reality is already here, and being felt in real ways.

The same names keep showing up. The same group of people answering calls again and again. The list isn’t getting longer. The workload isn’t getting lighter. The workforce isn't getting younger. We’re relying on neighboring departments to fill the gaps, and they’re relying on us to help them more than ever.

This isn’t about the future anymore. This is happening right now.

I won’t sugarcoat it. Joining a volunteer fire department isn't easy, and it takes time. The initial training is demanding. It will interrupt your routine. There will be nights when it’s inconvenient, when it would be easier to stay home, when you question whether you can keep up.

That part is real. But it’s also temporary.

What’s on the other side of that effort is something most people will never experience. You learn how to stay calm when others can’t. You learn how to step into situations people naturally avoid and actually be useful. You gain real skills you use on calls, at home, and in everyday life. And you become part of a group that shows up for their neighbors when they need it most.

It’s rewarding. It’s satisfying. And it makes a difference in your life, and in your community. It changes how you see yourself.

This isn’t about being a certain type of person. It’s not about being the strongest or the fastest. It’s not about having experience or knowing exactly what to do on day one. There are roles for all kinds of people; on the fireground, in EMS, and behind the scenes.

What matters is the willingness to step forward and learn. Men and women. Young adults. Parents. People with full-time jobs and other commitments. People who have thought about it before but never took the first step. You don’t need to be ready for the worst right now. You just need to be willing to start.

Because here’s the truth: The calls will keep coming. They always do. It might be your house. It might be your neighbor. The only question is who will be there to answer them. Will it be you?

If this made you stop for even a second, don’t overthink it. Stop by your local firehouse. Message them. Talk to someone. Sit in on a drill. Ask questions. No pressure. No commitment. Just come see what it’s really about.

Because the hardest part isn’t the training. It’s walking through the door for the first time. But once you're inside, you'll find a world of possibilities. 🚒🚑

- Capt PJ Cummings

03/13/2026

Our thoughts and prayers are with our neighbors to the south for the loss of one of their own, who was one of the good ones and will be sorely missed.

03/06/2026

Believe it or not, its almost that time of year. Burn Ban will be going into affect on March 16th. Here are some excellent examples of what is and is not allowed during the ban!

02/28/2026

Reminder of our Ladies Auxiliary's event, a night with Terry Buchwald! See attached flier for info!

02/27/2026

We took advantage of the cold weather and drilled on the hard water! Was a nice and crispy night to practice some ice water rescue techniques with Middleport Fire Department and Hartland Volunteer Fire Company (along with a couple Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company firefighters) and go over ours and our neighbor's ice rescue equipment. Huge thanks to the members of the Niagara County Technical Rescue Team that came out to demonstrate some techniques and equipment for us as well.

02/25/2026

PSA: We get it, name brand smoke and CO alarms are expensive and there may be some off-brand detectors that work just fine for a cheaper price. However, we advise you if you are using off-brand detectors, PLEASE do your research and pay close attention to them.

In the past year alone, we have had a few calls where a detector was going off in the home and upon investigation, we discovered the detector that was activated was an off-brand detector. In some cases, the single off-brand detector was activating with name brand detectors in the same room not activating. The name brand detectors not having activated was verified with our multi-gas meters not reading any hazards in the environment, it was simply the off-brand detector malfunctioning.

It's certainly better to have the detector activate and of course have the fire department verify everything is okay, however, with them activating for no reason, there is always the chance that they may not activate when there really is a hazard to life. Of course, with every device, name brand or not, there is always a chance of failure. So, regardless of what brand of detector you use, this us a reminder to always check and test your detectors and make sure they are operating properly and within date!

The recalled product is the LShome 3-Pack Smoke Detector Fire Alarms.