04/12/2026
This is an interesting way of looking at the current system. We are in about the same position but instead of a state university, we have the 1100 acre State Preparedness Training Center -SPTC (the crown jewel of homeland security training in NYS), several separate Oneida County Buildings (such as the 911 center, Dpw main building, office of the aging/voting/etc, Jail/sherrifs main office/LEB, Cornell Cooperative extension) and several non-profits such as churches and fraternal groups. Values well over a 100 million in today’s values that pay zero in fire protection fees but in many cases require services. There is not a normal week that goes by where we do not respond to one of these properties. Yes, they provide thousands of jobs, yes it is great for the area as a whole, however there is also a recognized drain on resources that are being provided. How do we keep the financial impact low, by providing a volunteer workforce. That’s right! Our responders are ALL volunteer. If you live in the district and enjoy paying low fire tax, we encourage you to stop in and talk to us about joining. There are many benefits to being a member and more importantly, you are helping keep the tradition for the last 125 years of volunteering alive!
