Imagine it is 2 AM and the smoke alarm in your residence is sounding and the house is filling with smoke or you’ve just been involved in a motor vehicle crash and can’t open your door to get out. What if nobody came? That is a question the volunteers at the Potsdam Fire Department don’t want you to have to answer or worry about.

The Potsdam Fire Department stands ready 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Fire and emergencies can strike at any time and our volunteers need your help to be sure we have the necessary resources to respond to our neighbors’ calls for assistance.
October is National Fire Prevention Month and coincides with our annual fund drive. In a normal year, you would see our volunteers going door to door in our fire protection district to hand deliver our fund drive letter while looking for fire safety hazards and developing pre-plans. During that time, we frequently interacted with our neighbors and took the opportunity to spread the fire safety message. As you know 2020 isn’t a normal year.

Out of respect for our neighbors and in an effort to reduce the risk of exposing our firefighters to the COVID-19 virus we have reluctantly decided to forgo the hand delivery of our fund drive letters this year. In the very near future you will be receiving that fund drive letter via U.S. Mail. We ask that you take a few minutes to review that pamphlet and consider providing us with a tax deductible donation to assist us in preparing for the next emergency. Your financial support will ensure our firefighters and equipment are ready so we can be there when the next alarm rings and then no one has to wonder…What if nobody came?

We realize, especially in these times, that not everyone will be able to assist financially. We will still be there for you and encourage you and your families to practice fire safety every day, visit our website (www.potsdamfire.org) for news and fire safety tips and also to let us know about hazards or individuals needing special assistance at your residence.

We are always looking for new recruits to fill our ranks. Visit our website for more information on becoming a volunteer firefighter or stop by the fire station for more details on serving your community.

We appreciate your continued support and wish you and your families the best of health and safety during these unusual times.