While many fire departments on Long Island struggle to find new volunteers, the Hicksville Fire Department continues to welcome new recruits each year. Just this week, 11 new firefighters joined the department, bringing the 2005 total up to 17 new members.

"The decision to become a volunteer firefighter is a serious one, and the amount of time spent training in the first year alone is a huge commitment for both the department and the firefighters," said Anthony Wigdzinski, chairman of the Hicksville Board of Fire Commissioners. "These men and women do not take this responsibility lightly."

When someone joins the Hicksville Fire Department, he or she is required to dedicate 114 hours to training in the first 12 months. The schooling includes inter-departmental courses, CPR/AED certifications and 40 hours of instruction at the Nassau County Fire Service Academy.

The first two weeks of membership are spent becoming familiar with the equipment utilized by the Hicksville Fire Department, so that each member may have a working knowledge of all apparatus. The members are then each placed with a company when they join the department and by the end of the first year, they will have learned the basics of fire fighting and developed search and rescue, basic first-aid and life saving skills. Training continues throughout their career as volunteer firefighters.