Niagara Gazette
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York is making $25 million in capital grants is available to volunteer fire departments to help upgrade facilities and equipment.
Administered by the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, the program supports volunteer fire departments by upgrading and improving facilities and response capabilities through the following objectives:
—Ensure fire stations and training facilities are safe, structurally sound, meet current building codes and regulations, and support or promote effective and safe firefighting practices;
—Support volunteer firefighter safety and health and wellness by providing equipment including personal protective equipment (PPE), decontamination equipment & supplies, and effective exhaust removal systems; and
—Support consolidation of fire service resources through regionalization efforts to expand above and beyond jurisdictional boundaries to enhance local, county, and statewide response efforts.
Two funding options are available through the grant program:
$20 million for construction, renovation, and/or facility purchase projects including fire stations, substations and joint/shared stations, fire training towers, instructional classrooms and meeting spaces, exhaust systems, and shower facilities for decontamination.
$5 million for allowable fire service equipment projects including personal protective equipment (PPE), PPE washer/extractor, PPE dryers, radios/communications equipment, rehab equipment, and mask service unit/air compressor.
“The volunteer firefighters of New York are selfless public servants who put their lives on the line to keep their communities safe,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “This funding will go a long way in reminding those who continue to serve that we will always support them in any and every way we can.”
New York State Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray added, “Volunteer fire departments are the backbone of emergency response in communities statewide, and in recent years, they have been called upon to do more in the face of new threats and the growing impacts of climate change. Unfortunately, however, many departments struggle to make the facility upgrades and equipment purchases needed to fulfill these expanded missions.”
Applications are available at www.dhses.ny.gov/state-funded-programs.
(c)2023 the Niagara Gazette (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)
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