Maintaining emergency services for the Rochester community while preserving the service model our residents have relied on for generations.
The Rochester Volunteer Fire Company has been dedicated to protecting the Village, and previously the Town, of Rochester for decades. In 1979, RVFC took over EMS operations from the Village of Waterford Fire Department and has provided EMS service as a largely self-funded system ever since.
For more than 40 years, that funding model worked with only minimal tax support. Today, that model is no longer sustainable. The proposed referendum is intended to help maintain current Fire and EMS operations as EMS billing revenue continues to decline.
Why It Matters
Emergency services in Rochester are not provided by a distant system staffed entirely by full-time personnel. They are provided through a combination of limited daytime staffing and volunteers who respond from their homes, workplaces, and daily lives.
Over time, the cost of providing EMS has increased while billing revenue has declined. That shortfall has been covered by reserve funds, which are now depleted.
This referendum is about maintaining the level of service the community already depends on and helping ensure that when a call comes in, trained responders remain available to answer it.
What We Do
Today, roughly 80% of our call volume is EMS related. These calls include medical emergencies, accidents, and other situations where timely care matters.
The remaining 20% includes structure fires, wildland fires, vehicle fires, motor vehicle collisions, carbon monoxide responses, natural gas odors, and other calls for service.
These calls happen in homes, on roadways, in farm and field environments, and across all seasons.
That means EMS is not a side function of the department. It is the majority of what we do, and it is the area where the funding model has changed most significantly.
80% EMS Calls
Medical emergencies, accidents, urgent care, and related EMS response.
20% Fire & Rescue
Structure fires, wildland fires, vehicle incidents, CO calls, gas odors, and more.
Your Neighbors Respond
Rochester Volunteer Fire Company remains deeply rooted in volunteer service. Outside of weekday daytime staffing, calls are covered by volunteers who respond from home, work, and daily life when the pager goes off.
This is not a system where personnel are simply sitting in a station waiting for calls. These are community members leaving dinner, family time, jobs, and sleep to answer when help is needed.
That time includes response, patient care, transport activity, cleanup, reporting, equipment checks, and getting apparatus ready for the next call. The commitment is significant, and it is given in service to the community.
Why This Referendum Is Needed
Prior to 2026, EMS operational funds were supplied almost entirely through billing revenue, along with small amounts of grant support. Since 2019, however, those revenues have been declining.
To keep services operating, fund balance was used over time to make up the shortfall. By the end of 2025, that fund balance had been depleted. Before that, only minimal EMS funding came from taxes, roughly $15,000 per year.
This request is not intended to grow the department. It is intended to cover operational shortfalls caused by declining EMS billing revenue and maintain the services Rochester residents have come to expect.
Current Staffing Model
RVFC currently staffs two full-time and one part-time position Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. All other times are covered by volunteers.
Outside of weekday daytime hours, service depends heavily on volunteers being available to respond from wherever they are.
This referendum is not being proposed to add more staffing. It is being proposed to help sustain current operations as the historical EMS funding model continues to erode.
The goal is straightforward: maintain service continuity for the Village of Rochester while preserving the combination model that blends staffed daytime coverage with volunteer response.
Estimated Cost
This figure is based on the current referendum discussion and can be updated later if final ballot language or assessed value examples change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this referendum expanding services or staffing?
Why is additional funding needed now?
Who provides emergency services in Rochester?
Are responders paid?
How long do calls take?
What happens if this referendum does not pass?
How much will this cost taxpayers?
Is RVFC part of the Village government?
Will this create a full-time fire department?
Be the first to submit a question!
Have a question that hasn’t been addressed? You can submit it through our contact form, or speak directly with a member of the department.
