Hearing set for Thursday over proposal to dissolve Sea Breeze Fire District due to lack of volunteers

Hearing set for Thursday over proposal to dissolve Sea Breeze Fire District due to lack of volunteers Kristi Blake News10NBC IRONDEQUOIT, N.Y. — The Sea Breeze Volunteer Fire Department in Irondequoit could dissolve soon. A public hearing is scheduled for Thursday night about a proposal to end services for the department.Earlier this month, the Sea Breeze Fire District Board endorsed a plan to transfer the services over to the Point Pleasant Fire District because of a lack of volunteers. This fire district has been 100% volunteer since 1908.If the dissolution plan is approved on Thursday, Point Pleasant Fire will fully take over on Saturday. Point Pleasant Fire has been helping the district for about four years. Sea Breeze and Point Pleasant have similar tax rates for 2026, and Sea Breeze officials said there is little expected to change next year, with a possible slight decrease.The hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Sea Breeze firehouse on 4657 Culver Rd. You can learn more about the meeting here. Check back for updates from the hearing.Previous stories about volunteer shortagesThis comes as the Firefighters Association of the State of New York warns that the state’s volunteer firefighter numbers have fallen to their lowest level in more than 40 years. It also comes as some local fire departments face financial challenges. The Fishers Fire District in Victor dissolved last October because the board decided that taxes were too high to keep the department running. Since then, other departments around Victor have stepped up to fill the 26-square-mile void.Some state policies aim to address the firefighter shortage. Earlier this month, the governor signed a bill that quadruples the New York State tax credit for volunteer firefighters and ambulance crews. Starting next year, volunteer firefighters are eligible for an $800 tax credit, and couples filing jointly can receive $1,600. That is an increase from $200 last year.