SULLIVAN COUNTY – Four volunteer fire departments in Sullivan County have recently received $281, 301 in grants from New York State as part of a total of $25 million awarded to 88 volunteer fire departments across the state, announced by Governor Kathy Hochul. 

The funding is being provided through the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) through the Volunteer Fire Infrastructure and Response Equipment (V-FIRE) Grant Program. 

“Volunteer firefighters exemplify the best of public servants, and an investment in them is an investment in the safety of the communities they serve,” Governor Hochul said. “These grants will give volunteer firefighters the resources they need to continue protecting New Yorkers; support befitting of their professionalism and the invaluable weight of their efforts.”

There were two tracks eligible to be applied to: $20 million for facility upgrades of up to $1 million per department and $5 million for fire service equipment, up to $500,000 for each department. The fire service equipment included personal protective equipment (PPE) and decontamination equipment and supplies. 

Deputy State Fire Administrator Luci Labriola-Cuffe said that 46 of the grants went towards facilities and the other 42 went towards equipment. The Youngsville Fire Department was the lone Sullivan County volunteer fire department to earn one of the facility grants. They received a $118,250 grant to repair a leaky roof at their firehouse.

The other three fire departments in Sullivan County received grants for fire service equipment. Beaverkill Valley Volunteer Fire Company, located in Lew Beach in the Town of Rockland received a $98,850 grant for 10 new SCBA air packs and cylinders. 

Highland Lake Fire Department received a $46,201 grant for five new air packs and cylinders.

Jeffersonville Fire District received an $18,000 grant for a new washer and dryer system in their facility to wash PPE. 

Both the Youngsville Fire Department and the Jeffersonville Fire District are located in the Town of Callicoon. 

Town Supervisor Tom Bose, a Past Chief and current member of the Youngsville Fire Department, said of these fire departments receiving grants, “This is really good news and comes at a really good time. The [Youngsville Fire Department] building is taking upgrades as we speak, with the roof and siding that was last done in the late 1980s.”

Bose noted that the work on getting the grants is time-consuming but worth it for the upgrades. He also said that as small districts, they are always scrummaging for any  funding that they can get.

“Our volunteer firefighters put their lives on the line every time they suit up to help others in need,” New York State DHSES Commissioner Jackie Bray said. “Through the V-FIRE Grant Program, we are working to ensure they have the resources they need to do their work safely and effectively. We thank our volunteers for their service and are grateful for the work they do to keep their communities safe.”

According to  Labriola-Cuffe, who is the first woman to ever serve as DHSES’s Deputy State Fire Administrator in the State’s Office of Fire Prevention and Control, applications from volunteer fire departments were evaluated and scored competitively using a multi-tiered listing of criteria. 

The scoring process evaluated a number of factors, including the timeliness and completeness of applications as well as the department’s annual operation budget. Departments with smaller annual operating budgets were given priority. 

Labriola-Cuffe also noted that they believe the scoring of the grant was due to the money around the state to areas that need it the most.

“It was really important that we helped the volunteer fire service out, as they are helping their community out,” Labriola-Cuffe said. “They’re really the backbone of the community’s emergency response. So we really wanted to make sure that they were able to get the funding that they needed to be able to continue to do their job.”