American volunteers

Thirty-two men and women graduated from the Orange County Fire Training Center in New Hampton last week. As John Horan, the county’s deputy fire coordinator, noted, long gone are days when a volunteer could hang his - or her - hat at the back of the firehouse and be ready to fight a fire. These volunteers were the first group of firefighters required to complete 86 hours of training over the course of several months that included instruction in dealing with hazardous materials and fire assessments. They capped off their graduation ceremony by raising the flag. (Photos by Ed Bailey)