NEWBURGH – The Newburgh Fire Department’s boat is too small to serve appropriately and the police department’s boat hasn’t been on the Hudson River in a year.
The city council wants to sell both boats and purchase one new one to serve both departments in emergencies, something Mayor Judy Kennedy supports.
“The state is working hard to get departments to leverage from each other, cities and towns and villages to leverage because it reduces the overall expenses to the citizens every time we do that, so I encourage as much of that as we can do,” Kennedy said.
The cost of a new emergency boat would run $340,000 with most of that in hand already; the city would have to come up with only $10,000.
Acting Fire Chief Terry Ahlers said the Village of Cold Spring has expressed interest in buying the old fire boat for $20,000 and police officials said they will auction their boat off for $10,000.
City Manager Michael Ciaravino would like to see a new emergency boat
in the Hudson River by this spring.
Last July, city officials announced plans to get a new fire boat, similar to the one in the inset.
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, shaking hands with Chief Vatter, announced $248,000 in SAFER funding to
help pay for the boat
