Why Join?
Why should you join the Fort Hunter Team?
- Training
- Fitness Room
- Car Wash Facilities
- Tax Deductions
- State of Art Equipment
- Access to Hall and Picnic Grove Facilities
- Personal satisfaction and pride
- Protect your community, give back to the community
- Social Functions (picnic, installation dinner, sporting events, family outings)
- Meet new people and make lifelong friends
- Valuable life experiences, try something new and different
- Retirement Plan and Life Insurance
- College Scholarship opportunities
- Free annual physical
What are the requirements for membership?
- Must be at least 16 years of age (under 18 requires parental consent)
- Must live or work within Fire District, member within 1 mile of district may be accepted for membership
- Must be in good physical condition (Medical exam will be provided at no cost)
- Pass the NYS required Arson conviction background check
How much time is required?
- Initially, you will be required to attend a Fire Co. probationary period of 90 days and complete a NYS Firefighter I class within the first two years of membership
- Attend at least one function each week for approximately 2 hours
- 1st Wednesday- Station Night
- 2nd Wednesday- Company Meeting
- 3rd/4th Wednesdays- Training
- Attend various work events scheduled throughout the year
- Attend as many emergency calls as possible according to your schedule
- Attend as many outside training as your schedule allows
What can I do to help?
- Interior Firefighter
- Exterior Firefighter only
- Driver
- Extrication
- FAST Team
- Fire Police
- Administrative Functions
Please read the following story:
Why Volunteer?
This newspaper article appeared in the Schenectady Gazette January 28, 1970
The Fort Hunter Volunteer Fire Company honored one of its own and a private citizen at ceremonies Saturday in the Bavarian Chalet to recognize their efforts in saving a little girl last summer from a burning home.
Honored were Second Assistant Fire Chief Eugene “Bud” McCumber and Douw Ackner. Shortly after midnight last July 13, the fire company received a call that the Fuller Station Road residence of John Ferguson was on fire with his daughter, Melissa, inside. It had been necessary for Mrs. Ferguson to run about a quarter-mile down the road to her nearest neighbor, Ackner, to call as the fire had knocked out the power and telephone lines at her home. Her husband and three other children were on a weekend camping trip in Vermont at the time. Mrs. Ferguson had been alerted by the barking of the family dog, Molly, an English springer spaniel, outside in a pen. After turning in the alarm, Ackner and Mrs. Ferguson returned and tried to enter a rear door in order to reach Melissa in an upstairs bedroom. Ackner then used a stepladder to scramble over the porch railing onto the sun deck but after entering through a window, dense smoke and heat forced them back onto the sundeck. At this point, the volunteer firemen arrived and Assistant Chief McCumber entered the building in search of the Child. After searching several of the upstairs rooms, the fireman located the 8-year old girl as she cried out and was able to make his way outside to the porch deck and pass the youngster down to the Fire Chief Edward Shave.
Fort Hunter firemen with mutual assistance from Guilderland and Carman units meanwhile were able to limit most of the fire damage to the basement. The citations for McCumber and Ackner credited them with saving Melissa through personal disregard for their own safety.