For more than a century, the men and women of Clay Fire have answered the call across twenty square miles of Onondaga County. They are not strangers in uniform. They are your neighbors — and they need you to stand beside them.
You don't need experience. You don't need to be a hero. You need to be willing to show up for the people next door — and we'll handle the rest.
State-certified firefighter and EMS training, paid for and provided in-house. No experience required — just commitment and a willingness to learn.
The friendships forged in a firehouse last a lifetime. You'll work alongside neighbors, raise families together, and know that someone always has your back.
Every call you answer is a real moment in someone's life — the worst day of their year. Few things are more meaningful than being there when it matters.
It is the mission of the Clay Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. to save lives; suppress and control fires; and provide services such as EMS, hazardous material recognition and response, fire prevention, and other activities as deemed in the best interest of the Fire Department or the citizens of our community.
When the tones drop and we roll out the bay door, we work the same three priorities, in the same order, on every single call. It's the framework that keeps our crews safe and the people we serve safer.
People come first. Every decision on every scene is filtered through this question: who is in danger, and how do we get to them?
Once people are safe, we stop the situation from getting worse. Confine the fire, contain the leak, control the scene.
Then we save what can be saved. Salvage covers, ventilation, careful overhaul — minimizing damage to the home or business we just protected.
Synthetic furnishings, plastics, and modern construction burn faster and hotter than ever before. By the time you smell smoke, the fire has already doubled — and will double again before you finish reading this. That's why response time is everything. That's why working smoke alarms save lives.
First-due structural firefighting engine. Pump, tank, supply line, attack lines, and SCBA. Standard for all reported structure fires west of the railroad.
Second-due engine company supporting structure response, vehicle fires, outdoor and grass fires across the western district.
Squad apparatus for medical alarms, vehicle collisions, and rescue support. EMS-equipped and first-due to medical calls in the western half of the district.
Specialty aerial apparatus serving the entire Town of Clay. Ground ladders, ventilation tools, forcible entry, and elevated platform operations.
First-due engine for the eastern district. Full pump, tank, hose load, and crew capacity for structure response east of the railroad.
Twin squads supporting medical calls, vehicle collisions, and rescue operations from the Caughdenoy Road station.
Whether you have an hour a week or every Saturday, there's a place for you at Clay Fire. Firefighters, EMS, drivers, junior firefighters, support members — we'll find where you fit.