Onondaga County honors emergency volunteers, urges more residents to join

The county’s emergency response system leans on volunteers in some of its most visible and specialized roles, from firehouses and ambulance services to a team that can help rescue and shelter pets during disasters.

During National Volunteer Week, which runs April 19 through April 25 in 2026, Onondaga County Emergency Management recognized local fire, EMS, OnCART and auxiliary police volunteers and urged more residents to step forward. The White House issued a Presidential Message on National Volunteer Week on April 20, and AmeriCorps is marking 2026 as a major year for volunteerism tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary. Points of Light describes the week as a time to recognize people who lend their time, talent, voice and support to causes they care about.

The scale of that need is broad. Onondaga County says its fire and EMS network includes 55 fire departments and 18 emergency medical services units. County recruitment materials say those agencies range from fully volunteer-staffed to all-paid departments, with many that mix paid and volunteer personnel. That means the volunteer side of the system remains essential, especially in communities that depend on local responders to cover calls, staff rigs and keep stations ready.

One of the county’s most unusual volunteer roles is OnCART, the Onondaga County Animal Rescue Team. The county says the team can help rescue and shelter household pets during disasters, working alongside human shelters when emergencies force families out of their homes. OnCART welcomes public volunteers, and the county says no specialized training is required to join, although experience in EMS, fire service, police work or veterinary offices is helpful.

The county’s Auxiliary Police are another all-volunteer layer of public safety. Onondaga County says those personnel are trained and certified by New York State as peace officers and support emergency management with security, traffic management and disaster assessment. The work falls under the county emergency management commissioner and helps the county function not only during active incidents, but also in the quieter stages of planning and recovery.

Onondaga County Emergency Management says its mission is to promote life safety and preserve property through preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. Residents interested in fire and EMS volunteering can apply through the county’s recruitment page, and a recruitment representative typically responds within three to five business days.