To the editor:

The Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary would like to thank the Adirondack Daily Enterprise for publishing a photo of the charter members of the group this past January.

The auxiliary was re-established in the spring of 2018 after most of the charter members (Patti Sauvie, John Valinni, Kelly Wright, Barbara Kent, Ashley Peck and Pattie Randolph-Clark) identified a need for fire department support and approached fire Chief Brendan Keough.

The auxiliary is well organized and has officers, by-laws, and policy and procedures for activation. The auxiliary was officially sanctioned after the fire department members voted to create it and the village board approved it. The auxiliary has a budget and is accountable to the fire department. Meetings are once a month, held at the firehouse.

The mission statement of the auxiliary is, “as a company of the Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department, the mission of the Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary (SLVFDA) is to support the firefighters of the department in their pursuit of life safety, incident stabilization, and environmental/property preservation of the citizens they serve. The members of the SLVFDA will pursue their mission through activities supporting the fiscal public service and response support needs of the firefighters.”

The objectives of the auxiliary are “assist the fire department with non fire-fighting functions or other emergency and non-emergency duties and promote exchanges of suggestions and experiences that aid the fire department.”

What exactly do we do? In the case of a fire or rescue-related incident, the auxiliary may be activated by the fire chief (or designee) to provide support services such as food, water, coffee, etc. The auxiliary members transport what is needed to the site of the incident or prepare needed items back at the firehouse. The auxiliary also provides support to the fire department members during non-emergency times such as during fire department events or trainings. This past year auxiliary members have participated in three fire-related incidents as well as school fire education, the annual Christmas toy drive, the Christmas parade, Winter Carnival support, including timekeeping at the multi-fire-department broomball tournament, as well as a reception for EMS, safety officers and fire department members after the Carnival parade. Many more opportunities for auxiliary support will occur as the years progress.

We are actively recruiting new members! Eligibility for membership is as follows: any interested individual willing to volunteer time in meeting the mission, age 18 or older, resides in the Saranac Lake Fire District, completes an application for membership and is approved by the auxiliary, Executive Committee of the fire department and the village. Please join us and volunteer with a great group of folks. Look us up on Facebook: Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary.

Contact information is as follows: auxiliary@saranaclakefire.com.

We hope to hear from you soon!

Patricia Randolph-Clark, president

Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary

Saranac Lake