U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $732,682 in federal funding for six fire departments in Rochester and in the Finger Lakes region. Specifically, the Hopewell Volunteer Fire Department will receive $287,332; the Lyons Fire District will receive $170,953; the Part Town of Avon Fire District will receive $71,305; the Perry Center Fire Department will receive $69,939; the Wayne Fire Department will receive $66,667; and the Ridge Culver Fire Department will receive $66,486. The funding was allocated through the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.
“It is essential that we provide our firefighters with the equipment they need to stay safe on the job,” said Senator Schumer. “Our first responders in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region and across the state are our local heroes and our first line of defense for safety and security – it is critical that we do all we can to ensure that they are well equipped and prepared to take on any emergency.”
“Our first responders defend and protect their communities, and we need to do everything possible to make sure that they have the resources necessary to stay safe and be prepared to respond to emergencies,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I am excited to announce these Assistance to Firefighters Grants for fire departments throughout the Finger Lakes and in Rochester, and I was proud to fight in the Senate to make sure our local fire departments have the support they need.”
“This funding will allow us to replace the SCBAs we currently use that are 15 years old with new SCBAs that will be smaller, lighter weight, and easier to carry. This will make it much easier for our firefighters to quickly navigate through small spaces in buildings for search and rescue. We also use these air packs when we arrive on the scene of a car accident or have to respond to an incident where there are dangerous chemicals on the scene. We’ve needed to update this equipment for a while and with these new units our fire fighters will be better equipped to serve the community,” said Perry Center Fire Department Chief Harold Wright.
A breakdown and description of the federal grant awards are provided below:
|
Fire Department |
Location |
Grant Amount |
Description |
|
Hopewell Volunteer Fire Department
|
Canandaigua |
$287,332 |
The Hopewell Fire District will use the funding to purchase a hose replacement and a Master Stream Device, which will allow firefighters to stream over 350 gallons of water per minute. |
|
Lyons Fire District |
Lyons |
$170,953 |
The Lyons Fire Department will use the funding to purchase new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) devices. |
|
Part Town of Avon Fire District |
Avon |
$71,305 |
The Part Town of Avon Fire District will use the funding to purchase vehicle extraction items to help with rescue missions. |
|
Perry Center Fire Department |
Perry |
$69,939 |
The Perry Center Fire Department will use the funding to purchase new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) devices that will replace the department’s current, 15-year-old SCBAs. Gillibrand wrote to the FEMA earlier this year to support the Department’s grant funding application. The full text of Gillibrand’s letter is available here. |
|
Wayne Fire Department |
Wayne |
$66,667 |
The Wayne Fire Department will use the funding to purchase new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) devices to replace units that are over 15 years old. |
|
Ridge Culver Fire Department |
Rochester |
$66,486 |
The Ridge Culver Fire Department will use the funding to purchase new extraction tools and hydraulic rescue tools. The funding will also be used to update three fire trucks with new Lucas systems tools to replace the department’s current, 25-year-old tools. |
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is administered by the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency in cooperation with the Department’s United States Fire Administration. The grants are awarded on a competitive basis to the applicants that most closely address the program’s priorities and demonstrate financial need. More information on the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program can be found here.