North Country Fire Department to Upgrade Aging Equipment

NEW YORK — Firefighters of the Brushton Volunteer Fire Department will receive 12 new self-contained breathing apparatuses and seven complete sets of personal protective equipment as a result of an Assistance to Firefighters Grant that is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Located in Franklin County’s Town of Moira in north-central New York, the Village of Brushton’s fire station has 32 volunteers who have had to borrow outdated equipment to respond to fires, as well as to share it while training.  Firefighter Jude Ducharme of the village’s department said that he and his colleagues will “no longer have to use gear that has been handed down and has been damaged while doing our jobs.”

Brushton’s new mayor, Kevin Pentalow, expressed appreciation for the grant.  “It means that our firefighters will have new coats, pants, gloves, helmets, boots, and hoods that are not charred, torn, or discolored, and they’ll be well protected while doing their jobs.  And, we’ll have a full complement of breathing apparatuses that are less than 10 years old.  There’s a lot of safety provided by this gear.”

The new equipment is made possible through a grant from FEMA’s Region II, which covers New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.  Dale McShine, the Region’s Director of Grants, reported that the grant totals $102,228.00, the federal share of which is $97,360.00. 

The equipment will also put Brushton’s fire equipment in line with safety criteria set by the National Fire Protection Association and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Brushton’s firefighters respond to some 60 calls for assistance annually to a population of approximately 1800.  Firefighter Ducharme said that the department is increasingly assisting neighboring departments in dispensing emergency medical services.

Tania Hedlund, FEMA’s Region II Branch Chief for grants, reports that in fiscal year 2014, the region awarded 273 grants, totaling $95.6 million.