Volunteer Firefighters in Chenango County Village to Receive Air Compressor to Fill Breathing Cylinders

Assistant Fire Chief Sees Gear as “Fundamental to Safety”

NEW YORK, NY — The Sherburne Village Fire Department will receive equipment to fill self-contained breathing apparatuses used to provide 39 volunteer firefighters with breathing air as they fight blazes or encounter toxic fumes.

“This compressor provides an integral piece of safety equipment to our volunteers,” said Jansen Casscles, First Assistant Fire Chief.  “Last year,” he said, “our department responded to some 500 fires and emergency medical service calls.  The old air compressor broke down regularly and made it very difficult to maintain air quality standards.”

The announcement of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant was made here today by Dale McShine, Director of Grants for Region II of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which administers the AFG program.  She said the award totaled $43,000, with the federal share coming to $40,953.

Chief Casscles said that the new air compressor replaces equipment that was more than 25 years old, adding, “The old equipment struggled to fill air cylinders of greater capacity, which used to be larger and heavier.  But today,” he said, “those cylinders are smaller and allow our firefighters far more mobility.  We’ve got a population of 4,500 to serve and the new compressor is fundamental to the safety of our citizens and our firefighters.”

FEMA’s Dale McShine pointed out that in 2013, Assistance to Firefighter Grants provided funding of almost $22 million to the 192 fire departments and EMS agencies throughout Region II, which includes New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

“These grants assist emergency agencies,” she said, “and we know that they provide safety and protection to entire communities.  We are very pleased to be part of that process.”

For further information, please contact William H. Douglass or FEMA: 212-680-3665 or 917-561-3223.

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