The St. James Fire Department is continuously accepting applications for membership.
Inquire Now to learn how to become a member.
Membership Types & Benefits
- Firefighters are required to become certified by the Suffolk County Fire Academy as Firefighter I within two years of joining.
- If you already have your Firefighter I certification from another department or another state, we may accept your training certificate if they are approved by the Suffolk County Fire Academy.
- You will also be trained and certified how to perform CPR and use Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).
- All training is provided for free.
- EMS members are required to become certified by the Suffolk County EMS Council as EMT-B within two years of joining.
- Those individuals joining as EMS members are only required to become certified as an EMT-B; you do not have to train as a firefighter.
- If you already have your EMT-B, EMT-CC or EMT-P certification from another department or another state, we may accept your training certificate if they are approved by the Suffolk County EMS Council.
- Training is also available for AHA BLS, ACLS, and PALS
- All training is provided for free.
- Junior Members are the future of our Department. Boys and girls ages 13 through 17 may join and learn from senior members of the Department. Although not allowed to respond to alarms, they are permitted to attend classroom and hands-on training just as a full member would.
- Junior Firefighters are given all the necessary equipment needed to train safely once they join. They are assigned a full complement of firefighting gear, including turnout jacket and pants, safety glasses, helmet, gloves, boots, and a full dress uniform.
- In addition to learning basic firefighting techniques, these Junior firefighters are taught CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) and Basic First-Aid skills. Junior Firefighters are allowed to join our department as regular firefighters at the age of 17 after completing 1 year of training in the Juniors program.
- All uniforms and turnout gear are provided free of charge! We provide our firefighters and EMT’s with the latest technology in firefighting/EMS gear.
- We also provide our members with a dress uniform.
- The Length of Service Award Program (LOSAP) is designed to retain and reward volunteer firefighters for years of service to their local communities.
- You will also qualify for a tax reduction on your property taxes after 5 years of active service.
- As an incentive for individuals to serve at County volunteer fire departments and EMS agencies, the Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services (“FRES”), has developed the Suffolk Educational program for Retention in the Volunteer Emergency Services (“SERVES”). This program will provide tuition reimbursement to student-volunteers for their service in Suffolk County for, up to one hundred twenty (120) credit hours, attained at a New York State Education Department approved college or university within Suffolk County. SERVES Student-Volunteers enrolled as Full-time students are eligible for tuition reimbursement based on a sliding scale of grades.
- For application information, please visit Suffolk’s Bravest. Also download the current SERVES guide.
- Upon completion of the Suffolk County Fire Academy, graduates are NYS certified Firefighter I.
- EMS and Firefighter members can become NYS Certified EMT-B after completing a course at the Suffolk County EMS Council.