Fire Coordinator: Hazing Not Tolerated At Rockland Fire Houses

The Rockland official who coordinates the activities of the county's 26 all-volunteer fire departments said Thursday that ritual hazing of new volunteers is not practiced or tolerated and that the volunteer fire departments are a safe place for young men and women to serve their communities.

Rockland County Director of Fire and Emergency Services Gordon Wren Jr. spoke out in the wake of news of a federal lawsuit that alleges a young Piermont volunteer firefighter was the victim of a hazing incident in 2010 that included sexual assault at Empire Hose Co. No. 1 in downtown Piermont.

Although officials of the Piermont fire department have been instructed by legal counsel not to comment on the matter, Wren said he believes the Piermont incident was an isolated case in which a group of young volunteers were roughousing. Wren contends the incident was not part of a fire deparment sponsored, or condoned practice.

"I have spoken with all the chiefs, including Piermont, and they have assured me that hazing is not practiced and it is not tolerated," said Wren, who is also a longtime Hillcrest volunteeer firefighter whose college-age daughter is also a Hillcrest firefighter.

Wren said Thursday that he fears the 2010 Piermont incident could cause a backlash throughout the county, creating hesitation among parents whose teenage sons and daughters are interested in joining local volunteer fire departments. Rockland County actively recruits young volunteers through its Fire Explorers program, in which high school students take classes on firefighting and undergo training on some of the basics of firefighteing at the Rockland County Fire Training Center in Pomona.

Many of the graduates of Fire Explorers go on to become junior firefighters. At age 16, teens can join a local fire department and then take the Firefighter I basic training program at the Fire Training Center. More than 150 new volunteers just graduated from county training courses during a ceremony Wednesday at Rockland Community College.

Junior firefighters are allowed to assist with a variety of duties at the firehouse and can assist at fire scenes. However, most Rockland fire departments won't allow volunteers to assist with firefighting inside a burning structure until the volunteer is 18 years old.

"I have received many calls over the years from the parents of young people who have told me joining the fire department had a big positive influence on the lives of their sons and daughters," Wren said. "I want parents to know that the fire service is a safe place for their sons and daughters."

Wren said that joining local volunteer fire departments helps many young people mature and develop a sense of responsibility. Wren contends the focus of local fire departments is on retaining members — not discouraging them or mistreating them through activities such as hazing.

However, Wren admits that the world of volunteer firefighting is not perfect and has its flaws. He noted that there are sometimes personality clashes, or cases in which new, young volunteers have some difficulty adjusting to new responsibilities as they are treated as young adults.

Wren said local fire companies all have rules governing their teenage volunteers and monitor the behavior and training of the young volunteers.

"We want to make the fire service a place where young people want to contribute their time," Wren said.

Rockland County has about 2,500 volunteer firefighters.