MARBLETOWN – Ulster County
Executive Michael Hein announced a new proposal Tuesday, to partner with
SUNY Ulster in the construction of a multi-million dollar centralized
training facility for volunteer firefighters.
“What I am proposing is Firefighter Investment, Recruitment, Service
& Training Program,” Hein announced at the Stone Ridge Firehouse
in Marbletown. He was joined by Dr. Alan Roberts, president of the nearby
community college, and various other emergency officials.
Currently, members of the county’s 50 fire companies must travel
elsewhere to meet many of the certification requirements.
Hein, podium, made the announcement at the Stone Ridge Firehouse
“As you come to recruit and retain individuals, you are trying
to provide resources for them, in an easy as possible setting you can,”
Hein explained. “If someone has to travel across the state to get
the additional training, oftentimes that simply does not happen,”
he noted.
Under F.I.R.S.T., the county fire coordinator will become a full-time
position, with expanded responsibilities to coordinate between the local
departments. A $2 million investment to build a state-of-the-art training
facility will be linked to the college, hopefully resulting in a state
funding match. College courses will be accredited, and free of charge
to the trainees.
“We’ve been waiting for this a long, long time; there’s
been a lot of discussion,” said Everett Erichsen chairman of the
County Fire Chief’s Association. “That is a huge asset to
our volunteers. We need to bring everybody in, have the volunteers and
move forward to have a volunteer fire service in the future,” he
observed.
Hein added that SUNY Ulster President Dr. Roberts brings prior experience
to the table, having developed a firematic program Indian River State
College in Fort Pierce, Florida, as vice president of Applied Science
and Technology there.
