Join the Department
Membership
Rush Fire Department is 100% volunteer. No paid staff. No shifts. Every alarm answered by neighbors who choose to serve — people who hold day jobs, raise families, and still show up when the tones drop.
Ways to serve
Find your place
The department runs on two tracks — the operational line side and the corporate social side. Both matter. Both need people.
Volunteer
Become an active member — fight fires, crew the ambulance, work fire police, or support the department. No experience required; all training provided.
Join the team
Line Officers
The Chief — elected by the membership — and the appointed officers who command the fireground: Assistant Chiefs, Captains, Lieutenants, EMS Director of Operations, Fire Police Captain, and Safety Officer.
Meet the officers
Social Officers
Rush Fire Department, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation. These are the officers who keep the books, run the organization, and manage the annual carnival.
The corporate side
Life Members
Members who have given a minimum of five years of active service and earned Life Membership — a distinction that honors long-term commitment to the department and the Town of Rush.
Life Members
Honorary Members
Individuals recognized for exceptional contributions to the department or the community — not necessarily active members, but people who have made a lasting difference.
Honorary Members
Distinguished Service
The department's highest honor — awarded by the membership to recognize extraordinary acts of valor, outstanding service, or unique and lasting contributions.
Distinguished Service
How we're organized
Two sides, one department
Rush Fire Department operates as both an emergency-response organization and a not-for-profit corporation. Both sides need people, and they work best when they're strong together.
The Line Side
Operational / Emergency Response
The line side is the emergency response arm of the department. Line officers are elected annually by the active membership and hold command authority on the fireground and at EMS scenes.
- Interior Firefighters — structural, water, rescue
- EMS providers — Ambulance 589 crews
- Fire Police — scene control and traffic management
- Apparatus drivers and operators
The Social Side
Corporate / Administrative
Rush Fire Department, Inc. is a New York State not-for-profit corporation. Social officers are elected by the membership to govern the corporation — managing finances, running the annual carnival, and keeping the organization healthy for the long term.
- President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer
- Board of Directors
- Carnival committee and fundraising
- Membership administration
Part of the family
The Ladies Auxiliary & Explorers Post
Two organizations are closely affiliated with the department and are essential to its mission. The Ladies Auxiliary provides rehab for firefighters at long scenes, raises funds, and supports department events. The Explorers Post introduces young people ages 14–21 to fire service — many of today’s active members started there.
Ready to step up?
We need people
like you.
No experience required. Drills are Mondays, 7:00 PM at Station 1 — walk in, look around, ask anything.