Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C,I – Corning) is sending another reminder to members of volunteer fire departments and members of the community about an opportunity to receive tuition reimbursement through the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY). FASNY has developed the Higher Education Learning Plan (FASNY HELP) as an incentive for people to serve in New York’s volunteer fire service. This program will provide tuition reimbursement to student-volunteers. The deadline to apply for the spring semester is February 1. “The HELP program from the Firemen’s Association is the perfect opportunity for individuals to engage in community service and pay for their continuing education,” said Palmesano. “Volunteer firefighters are in high demand all across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes region, and this program could help meet this demand while providing individuals with the opportunity to give back to their community and obtain a quality education." The FASNY HELP program allows community college students to receive up to 100 percent tuition reimbursement for up to 80 credit hours while serving as volunteer firefighters and maintaining their grades. According to FASNY, the goal of the program is to help retain and recruit needed volunteers to fill a shortage left by the loss of more than 41,000 emergency volunteer workers that has occurred over the years. To apply, candidates must first complete their local fire department’s volunteer membership process and the Volunteer Fire Department Commitment form to be eligible to join the program. “Our emergency volunteer workers are the backbone of rural communities, and we must continue to be proactive to help in the retention and recruitment of these volunteers who provide such a valuable service to the residents and taxpayers of our local, rural communities,” said Palmesano. “The great partnership we have with FASNY to help curb the decline in volunteers can play an important role in filling an important community need, and I hope students and volunteers will take advantage of this opportunity.” For information on the program and how to apply:
Visit: http://www.fasny.com/index.php/resources/fasny-help/
Email: HELP@fasny.com
Attn: John D’Alessandro, Deputy Volunteer Programs Coordinator
Call Toll Free: (855) 367-6933 The program was made possible through a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant awarded by the Department of Homeland Security. Palmesano was re-elected in November to his second term in the Assembly. He now represents the new 132nd Assembly District which consists of the majority of Steuben County, all of Schuyler and Yates Counties, and portions of Chemung (towns of Catlin, Erin, Van Etten and Veteran) and Seneca (towns of Covert, Lodi, Ovid and Romulus) Counties.