TOWN OF POUGHKEEPSIE – Several Dutchess County fire departments received news on Friday that their grant applications had been approved by Dutchess County. County Executive Marc Molinaro announced the awards at the Arlington Fire District headquarters with representatives of many of the departments in attendance.
The “Fire and Rescue” grant program is part of the county’s Municipal Innovation Grant program. The legislature approved the aid to emergency personnel in the 2022 budget. When first approved, Legislature Chairman Gregg Pulver said, “This brand new grant opportunity will go a long way to equip and replenish our paid and volunteer firefighter force.”
Twenty-two fire departments, career, volunteer, and hybrid departments with both, were awarded funding. A total of $2,637,591 was awarded for a number of projects that the fire departments sought help to fund. Molinaro noted that there were more grant awards than resources and he will work with the legislature to approve the necessary additional money.
Molinaro noted that every volunteer firefighter saves approximately $100,000 of taxpayer dollars when compared to professional fire departments and the need to recruit both volunteers and career firefighters continues to grow. “Career and volunteer emergency responders are the backbone of our community. The challenges have never been greater, the cost of living has never been higher, and the need to attract, retain, and enhance their capacity is tremendous.”
The grants announced on Friday are as follows:
- Amenia FD – $74,767 – For a high-pressure breathing air compressor system
- Arlington/LaGrange/Poughkeepsie FD – $300,000 – Training in advanced structural rescue skills and techniques and rope rescue, as well as rescue equipment.
- Beekman FD – $19,000 – For a LUCAS device
- Chelsea FD – $70,000 – For a heavy vehicle extrication kit
- City of Beacon FD – $89,387 – SCBA and protective fire gear
- City of Poughkeepsie FD – $46,000 – UTV and storage shed for emergency response
- Fairview FD – $70,000 – Enhancement of emergency response to trails, rails, and parks
- Hughsonville FD – $265,584 – For health and safety equipment upgrades
- Hyde Park FD (with the Town) – $94,506 – Regional trail security and emergency response
- JH Ketcham Hose – $40,469 – Fire & rescue UTV and trailer
- LaGrange FD – $43,695 – Cancer prevention initiative
- Milan FD – $125,354 – Critical upgrades to lifesaving tools and equipment
- New Hamburg FD – $92,420 – Personal protective equipment for firefighters
- North East FD – $94,996 – Personal protective equipment
- Pine Plains FD – $107,000 – UTV and in-house SCBA filling station
- Pleasant Valley FD – $300,000 Fire Mill pump upgrade
- Rombout FD – $294,863 – Replacement of SCBA for improved operations
- Tivoli FD (with village) $300,000 – Firehouse capital expansion
- Village of Tivoli – $100,000 – ADA compliant improvements to firehouse
- Union Vale FD – $85,567 – battery-operated extrication equipment
- Village of Fishkill FD – $108,117 – Equipment upgrade
- Village of Wappingers Falls FD – $50,400 – efficiency and safety improvements
- West Clinton FD – $165,466 – UTV and associated equipment
