Delaware County Approves Countywide Volunteer Fire Service Assessment

DELHI, N.Y. — The Delaware County Board of Supervisors has approved funding for a comprehensive assessment of the county’s volunteer fire service, a move officials say is intended to help address growing staffing and operational challenges.

The assessment will be conducted by Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI) following recommendations from the Delaware County Fire Advisory Board’s Recruitment and Retention Committee. County officials said the initiative also has the support of a majority of Delaware County fire chiefs.

Delaware County relies entirely on 28 volunteer fire departments to provide fire and rescue protection across its largely rural Catskill Mountain communities. Those departments responded to more than 4,200 fire-related incidents in 2025, according to the county.

County officials said the number of active volunteer firefighters has steadily declined and is approaching crisis levels, prompting the Fire Advisory Board to establish a committee focused on recruitment and retention strategies.

The Delaware County Office of Emergency Services issued a request for proposals for the study, receiving two submissions before selecting ESCI to perform the assessment.

The Board of Supervisors approved Resolution No. 96, authorizing the transfer of $73,828 to retain the consulting firm.

The assessment will evaluate all 28 volunteer fire departments, examining operational firefighting capabilities, officer development and succession planning, emergency response performance using 911 dispatch and fire reporting data, apparatus and equipment inventories, department budgets and capital planning, recruitment and retention efforts, and opportunities to improve service delivery through practical recommendations.

According to the county, the assessment will be conducted primarily through electronic data collection, geographic information system analysis, virtual stakeholder meetings and interviews with fire chiefs, emergency services personnel, local officials and members of the Fire Advisory Board.

ESCI anticipates the project will take approximately nine months to complete following project initiation and data collection.