Fire Chief Sees Boost in Confidence for Unit’s 10 Firefighters

New York, NY — The fire company of the Village of Delanson, located some 25 miles west of Albany, has been awarded 10 self-contained breathing apparatuses, or SCBAs.  “This new equipment will take the place of 23-year-old gear whose straps were falling off and that used heavy steel packs that we had to lug around when confronted by a fire,” said Fire Chief Kevin Morrison.  The company’s old equipment was also out of compliance with state safety regulations, he added.

The Delanson Fire Company, with 10 volunteer firefighters, serves a village of roughly 370 residents and responds to some 115 calls per year.  “These SCBAs are a huge plus for the village and the department,” Chief Morrison said.  “Not only are they equipped with distress signals that enable a firefighter to signal for help, but they also allow a comrade to provide oxygen from his or her own cylinder.

“On top of it all,” he said “we could not have afforded this lifesaving upgrade,” which is a big boost in confidence and morale for our volunteers.”

The SCBAs were provided by an Assistance to Firefighters Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the agency’s grants director for Region II, Dale McShine, said in New York City today.  The equipment’s cost is $56,650, with the federal share coming to $53,953.  “Our AFG program has been aiding firefighters and other first responders since 2001,” said Ms. McShine.  “It’s most gratifying to be able to help like this.”

“This grant provides resources to replace outdated equipment critical for the safety of our firefighters,” said Delanson Mayor Gayle Gifford. “We’re a very small community with a very small volunteer fire company. But big or small, all fire companies share the same goal: to protect and serve their communities’ citizens.”

Citing how paramount it is to keep responders protected, Mayor Gifford continued, “Thanks to FEMA’s AFG program, Delanson’s firefighters will now be properly shielded in their hazardous work.”

Tania Hedlund, FEMA’s regional Grants Branch Chief, explained that “the AFG program provides critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.”

In 2013, the AFG provided funding of $21.9 million to 192 Fire Departments and EMS agencies throughout Region II, which includes New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.  For the first time ever, funding was awarded to a State Fire Training Academy in the region: the NYS State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.

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

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.