Find Your Role to Volunteer with the East Rockaway Fire Department
Whether you are figuring out how to become a volunteer firefighter in NY or bringing years of emergency services experience to the table, the East Rockaway Fire Department has a place for you. We’re looking for dedicated neighbors to serve as Firefighters, Fire-Medics, Firefighter Technicians, and Junior Firefighters. Join a local team rooted in tradition, driven by service, and committed to protecting our community every day.
No prior emergency services experience? No problem. We provide all the free fire academy training and support you need to succeed as a volunteer firefighter or EMT in Nassau County.
Open to individuals 18 and older Firefighters are the cornerstone of our department. Firefighters are responsible for extinguishing fires, performing rescues, and mitigating hazardous situations. Firefighters undergo extensive training at the Nassau County Fire Service Academy in addition to continuous training and drills within each ERFD Company. Firefighters are assigned to either an Engine where they focus on extinguishment or the Ladder Company whose primary responsibility is search and rescue and special operations.
FIREFIGHTER
Open to individuals 18 and older. Fire-Medics are our members who perform EMS only duties. These members are or become Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians (AEMT), Critical Care Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT-CC), and Paramedics (EMT-P). Fire-Medics respond to all calls in one of our two ambulances to provide emergency medical services to our community responding to 911 calls as well as protect our firefighter membership during fire and rescue alarms.
FIRE-MEDIC
JUNIOR FIREFIGHTER
JUNIOR
FIREFIGHTER
Open to individuals between the ages of 12 and 17, Junior Fire Department members are exposed to all aspects of the Fire Department. They familiarize and train with each company and squad to learn the operations of the East Rockaway Fire Department. Junior FD Members also assist the Department in non-emergency functions such as parades, training, and tournaments.
Specialized Units. Unified Mission.
Beyond traditional firefighting, our department is equipped with elite specialty units trained for complex rescues. The ERFD Rescue Squad, Floodlight and Heavy Rescue Squad, Marine Unit, and Dive Team each bring advanced technical training to the most challenging emergency medical services and rescue operations in East Rockaway, both on land and in the water.
When every second counts, these teams are ready.
The Calling To Serve and Protect...
RESCUE SQUAD
The Rescue Squad provides critical, pre-hospital emergency medical services to our residents, operating two advanced life support ambulances within the Nassau County 911 System and responding to over 500 calls per year. This unit is the perfect place for anyone looking for free EMT training in Nassau County. Our members hold NYS certifications ranging from Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) and Advanced EMTs to Paramedics (EMTP).
FLOODLIGHT AND HEAVY RESCUE SQUAD
Our Floodlight and Heavy Rescue Squad is responsible for vehicle stabilization and extrication, providing emergency scene lighting, and assisting in technical rescue operations as needed. The Squad also provides shore support to the Dive Team and Surface Water Rescue.
MARINE UNIT
The Marine Unit operates Marine 25, a 25 ft. Boston Whaler with an onboard firepump, as well as Marine 17, a 17 ft. Carolina Skiff that is rapidly deployable via trailer. The Marine Unit is responsible for responding to water emergencies and boat fires within our jurisdictions and within our mutual aid departments. The unit also provides a stable platform for our Dive Team and Surface Water Rescue Team to operate from.
WATER RESCUE TEAM
The Water Rescue Unit is composed of the Marine Unit, Dive Team, and Surface Water Rescue Team. Our rescue swimmers are skillfully trained to retrieve victims from local waterways and flooded roadways, operating from bulkheads, beaches, or watercraft. ERFD Divers are heavily trained in dry-suit, full-face mask, and zero-visibility underwater search and recovery. As one of only three volunteer fire department dive teams on the South Shore of Nassau County, our team takes extreme pride in our specialized aquatic capabilities.
GIVE YOUR BEST, GET THE BEST.
Free Fire Academy Training and Education
Annual Health Physicals
Free Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) courses
Property Tax Reductions
Uniforms and Gear Provided
College Tuition Reimbursement
Stronger Together:
Five Stations, One Mission.
The East Rockaway Fire Department operates out of five dedicated firehouses, each playing a vital role in protecting our neighborhoods. From localized fire suppression to Nassau County emergency medical response and technical rescues, our stations work as one unified team. When you join ERFD, you become part of a tight-knit network of volunteer first responders driven by purpose, pride, and a commitment to serve.
When you join East Rockaway FD, you become part of something bigger: a tight-knit network of volunteers driven by purpose, pride, and a commitment to serve.
