Interior Firefighter
Structural firefighting, water supply, ventilation, search and rescue — the front-line role most people picture when they think of fire service. Physically demanding but deeply rewarding.
TIME: HIGH EFFORT: HIGHEST
No experience needed
Answerthe call.
Nearly every member of this department walked through that door knowing nothing. We provide the training, the gear, and the mentorship. What we can't provide is you.
Drills every Monday night — 1971 Rush Mendon Rd — 7:00 PM
There's a job for everyone
Ways to serve
Not everybody runs into burning buildings — and that's fine. The department needs people in every role below.
EMS / EMT
Crew Ambulance 589. Rush is one of the very few volunteer departments in Monroe County still running its own ambulance — keeping 589 in service means having EMTs willing to answer the page. We’ll put you through EMT class.
TIME: MED-HIGH EFFORT: MODERATE
Fire Police
Scene control and traffic management — the people who keep civilians out and the road clear so crews can work. Critical work, lighter physical demands. State-certified training.
TIME: MEDIUM EFFORT: LOWER
Social & Support
The carnival, fundraisers, scene rehab, administration, events — the engine behind the engines. If you want to give something without running calls, this is where the department needs help the most.
TIME: FLEXIBLE EFFORT: LOW
The process
How to join
Before you apply, reach out and come to a drill — no commitment, just a look. Once you're ready, here's the formal process.
Before you apply
Reach out first — send us a message through the contact page, find us on Facebook, or just show up. Then visit a drill night — Mondays at 7:00 PM, 1971 Rush Mendon Rd. Tour the station, meet the crew, ask questions. No gear, no commitment. When you’re ready, here’s what happens:
01
Apply
Fill out a membership application — available at the station or through the department secretary. You must be 18 or older to apply as an active member. (Ages 14–21? See the Explorers Post.)
02
Presented at the membership meeting
Your application is presented to the membership at the next regular meeting. Members have the opportunity to ask questions and get to know who’s joining.
03
Background check
A background check is required for all new members. This is coordinated by the Rush Fire District — you don’t have to arrange it yourself.
04
Commissioners’ vote
The Rush Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners votes to approve your membership. This is a standard step in the process — the district governs the organization, and commissioners confirm new members.
05
Membership vote
The active membership votes to officially accept you. At that point you’re in — a member of Rush Fire Department.
06
Physical
A physical examination is required before active service. This is also coordinated by the Rush Fire District — they’ll set it up for you.
07
Train
Fire training takes place at the Monroe County Public Safety Training Facility and the Livingston County Emergency Operations and Training facility — both available to you once you’re 18. EMT certification, fire police certification — whatever path you’re on, the department funds your coursework and issues your gear at no cost. An experienced member is assigned as your mentor.
08
Run calls
Once trained and cleared, you’re on the response roster — answering alarms with your crew for the Town of Rush. The pager goes off; you decide whether to respond. That’s all it takes.
It’s a long road — stick with it
We won’t pretend it’s quick. Vetting takes time, the votes happen on the department’s own schedule, and seats in a fire or EMT class only open up so often — so it’s normal for the whole process to stretch across several months. Don’t let that discourage you. The wait is part of doing this right — it’s what makes this a real, trained, trusted crew — and the people who stick it out will tell you it was worth every bit.
At no cost to you
Training provided
The county training facilities and the state back volunteer fire education — and Rush passes every bit of it on to its members.
County Training Facilities
Members train at the Monroe County Public Safety Training Facility and the Livingston County Emergency Operations and Training facility — Firefighter I & II, Hazmat Operations, rapid intervention, and continuing education. County training is available once you’re 18.
EMT Certification
The department will sponsor you through an NYS EMT course if you want to crew Ambulance 589. Recertification is also supported.
Turnout Gear, Issued
Full structural PPE — bunker coat and pants, helmet, gloves, SCBA — issued when you complete Firefighter I. No cost to you, ever.
What you get back
Real benefits
New York State and the department provide meaningful benefits for volunteer firefighters — not token gestures.
NY State Volunteer Tax Credit
New York State provides a significant income tax credit for active volunteer firefighters and EMTs. If you live in the Town of Rush, you can instead take a property-tax credit — you get one or the other, not both. Either way, it’s real money back for real service.
Training & Gear at No Cost
Fire training at the county facilities, EMT certification, and continuing education are all covered. Your structural PPE — bunker coat, pants, helmet, gloves, SCBA — is issued when you complete Firefighter I. You never pay for any of it.
A Second Family
This is the one that keeps people. The people you train with, respond with, and laugh with at drill night — they become part of your life in a way that’s hard to explain until you’re in it.
Straight answers
Fair questions
The questions we hear most. If yours isn't here, come to a drill night and ask in person.
Photo — Crew arriving on scene, structure fire response
Do I need experience to join?
No. Almost nobody walks in with experience. You bring the willingness — we provide fire training at the county facilities, equipment, and mentorship from experienced members who started exactly where you are. The only prerequisite is showing up.
How much time does it take?
Honest answer: what you can give. Monday drill nights are a couple of hours. You respond to the calls you're available for. Our members have day jobs, farms, and families — nobody makes every alarm. During training courses, the time commitment goes up temporarily, then settles back down.
Is training paid for?
Yes. Fire training at the Monroe County Public Safety Training Facility and the Livingston County Emergency Operations and Training facility is covered — members can attend once they turn 18. EMT certification is sponsored by the department. Your turnout gear is issued at no cost. You also qualify for the NY State volunteer firefighter income tax credit (or a property-tax credit if you live in the Town of Rush — you get one or the other).
I don't want to go into fires — can I still help?
Absolutely. Fire police, EMS, apparatus drivers, scene support, social membership, fundraising — there's a job here for every comfort level. The department functions because people fill all of these roles, not just interior firefighters.
Do I have to live in Rush?
Ideally, yes — but working in the district counts too. What matters is being close enough to respond quickly, since members turn out from home (or from work) when a call comes in. So living in Rush is ideal, and working here works just as well. By New York State law, a fire department can only carry a limited number of out-of-town members — so proximity matters both practically and legally. If you're right on the border or have a specific situation, come talk to us.
What's the age requirement?
You must be 18 or older to join as an active member. If you are 14–21, the Explorers Post is the right entry point — real training, real mentorship, a direct pipeline into the department when you turn 18.
Monday nights, 7:00 PM
Come see what
it's like.
The best first step is walking through the station door on a Monday night. No appointment, no commitment. Talk to the crew, see the rigs, ask your questions. If you want to start an application, we'll hand you one on the spot.
Station 1 — drills here
1971 Rush Mendon Rd, Rush, NY 14543
Drill nights
Every Monday — 7:00 PM
Business line
(585) 533-XXXX — Not for emergencies — call 911