• Volunteers comprise 65% of all firefighters in the United States

• Volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians across the country meet national and/or state training standards.

The report, “Tax Savings and Economic Value of Volunteer Firefighters in New York State” was prepared by ERS Group and found that:

• New York State’s nearly 100,000 volunteer firefighters save taxpayers $3.87 billion annually in salary and benefits, and potential debt service.

• New Yorkers save more than $3 billion each year due to the services provided by the State’s volunteer fire services

• Property taxes across the state would rise on average 26.5 percent to cover the added costs (taxes would rise between 3.3 percent and 123 percent depending on the county), which would include hiring firefighters and acquiring equipment and buildings.