$80k Federal Investment in Fire Departments

FISHKILL – Representative Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) announced a major investment of over $80,000 for the Village of Fishkill and Arlington Fire Departments to replace aging and obsolete equipment. This investment, secured through the federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program, will allow Arlington to replace a 20 year old hose, and provide the resources for Fishkill to replace their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) or “turnout gear” and outdated alerting radios. The Village of Fishkill Fire Department is set to receive $58,381 and the Arlington Fire District will receive $24,546 for this new equipment.

“Our local heroes run into dangerous situations every day to keep our families and communities safe – and they should have the equipment they need to do so quickly and safely. Working together we can make federal investments in our fire departments and local firefighters to ensure they have the hoses, radios and protective gear they need to continue doing their jobs and saving lives,” said Rep. Maloney.
“I would like to thank our Federal Elected Officials that provided Letters of Support for this important AFG grant and also acknowledge the Village Board and Village Emergency Response Coordinator Rad Wilson and our Grant Writer for their help in preparing for this grant. This grant will go a long way in protecting the Firefighters of the Village of Fishkill with up-to-date Turnout Gear and Alerting Radios,” said Village of Fishkill Fire Chief Brandon Knapp.

“The federal investment secured by Rep. Maloney will provide our firefighters with the equipment they need to effectively do their jobs,” said Arlington Fire Chief Tory Gallante. “It will allow us to finally replace our aging fire hose without placing an increased burden on the local taxpayers.”

The Assistance to Firefighters Grants are 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 accessed at http://www.firegrantsupport.com/.

Rep. Maloney has a track record of getting results for Hudson Valley fire departments. In 2014, Rep. Maloney helped to secure $238,700 for the Arlington Fire District to replace outdated equipment with the purchase of  new advanced life support monitors and defibrillators used by first responders to provide basic and advanced life support to patients in life-threatening conditions. Rep. Maloney also worked closely with the Newburgh Fire Department to secure a SAFER grant, which provided $2.5 million to hire fifteen new firefighters. In December, 2015, Rep. Maloney worked to secure additional funding and prevent layoffs. Rep. Maloney also announced he secured a SAFER grant for the City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department to hire seven new firefighters.