Half of the city's 10 volunteer fire departments are in Queens and since September 11, these departments said they've been inundated with men and women wanting to become volunteer firefighters. NY1’s Ruschell West has more.

Volunteer firefighters were on the front lines with city firefighters September 11. And many men and women say that inspired him to join their ranks.

“Seeing all the firefighters that died that day made me believe that the true job to be in New York City now is a firefighter,” said volunteer firefighter Benjamin Betancourt.

He is not alone. Volunteer fire departments in Queens say they usually get about three new members a year. But that number has quadrupled in the last 10 months, with many volunteers ready to move to the borough from other states.

“More people join from out of town than in town,” said volunteer firefighter Ed Wilmarth. “Now, they see firefighters as something you put up on a pedestal. So Everybody wants to join. The way we look at it — the more help we get the better it is for us.”

Created in the early 1900s, the volunteer fire companies serve as a backup for the city fire department.

The city's volunteer fire departments have always played an integral role in the delivery of fire suppression services and emergency services in New York City, especially on September 11,” said a spokesman for the FDNY.

In addition to pitching in at the World Trade Center, volunteers staffed city firehouses left empty after the terrorist attacks. They were in action again two months later when Flight 587 crashed in Belle Harbor, Queens. In that incident, the Point Breeze, Broad Channel, and West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire Departments were among the first to arrive on the scene.

There are about 400 volunteers throughout the city. They don't have to take the exams New York City firefighters do, but they are trained to fight serious fires. Some are also trained as paramedics.

When they aren’t helping fighting fires, volunteers pump flooded basements, search for lost children, and assist during everyday household emergencies. And it's not just adults who want to be heroes.

Kids, such as John Conklin of the junior squad, are also able to help out.

“I like it a lot. I come around I help out,” Conklin said. “All the new kids that join, I teach them how to dispatch calls and stuff, and sleep over. It's pretty cool.”

Volunteer fire companies are non-profit organizations that rely heavily on funding from the communities they serve to pay for their upkeep, and equipment.

For information, log onto www.vfacny.org.

--Ruschell West