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Atlantic County Fire Company Awarded Grant for Larger, Safer Aerial Ladder Truck

NEW YORK — The Minotola Fire Company in Buena Borough, N.J. will purchase a new aerial ladder truck to replace a smaller, 23-year-old truck that is out of service for repairs 20 percent of the time, it was announced here today.

One of Minotola’s fire commissioners, Jeffrey Pace, said today that the current vehicle has been out of service “for a week and a half, leaving our firefighters with only one engine to respond to an incident.” Commissioner Pace said, in addition, that “repairs to the truck’s hydraulic system had recently cost taxpayers nearly $20,000, or almost 10 percent of our entire fire district’s operating budget for just one repair.”

He said also that the new, 100-foot-long vehicle will allow the company’s volunteer firefighters to stay further away from a blaze than its predecessor, which, he pointed out, was unable to meet the criteria of either the National Fire Protection Association or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The federal funds providing most of the cost for the new vehicle come from an Assistance to Firefighters Grant, which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “The grant totals $794,000, with the federal share coming to $756,191,” said Dale McShine, Grants Director for FEMA’s Region II. “The local share is $37,809, or five percent of the total,” she added. The grant will become effective August 26, 2016.

The Town of Minotola comprises part of Buena Borough with a sister city, Landisville, having a population of some 5,000 over eight square miles. Commissioner Pace reported that the Fire Company’s 32 volunteers firefighter respond to roughly 125 calls annually.

Commissioner Pace expressed his appreciation for the FEMA grant. “We are a small borough in western Atlantic County. We simply could not have asked our taxpayers to fund an expenditure of this size, as valuable as it is to our entire community. This is a most practical grant. It will be put to very good use while saving a good deal of taxpayer money.”

The new truck will be able to pump 2,000 gallons of water per minute and will be equipped with a 500-gallon water tank and a 30-gallon foam system, identical to the capabilities of the truck it will replace. The new ladder, though, will be able to rise 35 feet higher than the old one, which also had small structural cracks on its rungs in addition to unsafe railings.

Other new safety features will include appropriate handrails and NFPA-compliant seat belts with a warning system to notify the driver if passengers’ seat belts are not buckled.

“We also have a comprehensive training course,” said Commissioner Pace, “that will put all of our firefighters in compliance with NFPA regulations.”

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

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Atlantic County Fire Company Awarded Grant for Larger, Safer Aerial Ladder Truck

Berlin, NJ Firefighters to Receive New Personal Safety Equipment – Federal Grant will Fund Purchase

NEW YORK — The regional volunteer firefighting alliance in Berlin Borough and Berlin Township is currently operating with obsolete, 14-year-old safety equipment that is out of compliance with National Fire Protection Association standards.

The items to be replaced are self-contained breathing apparatuses at Berlin firehouses in both the Borough and Township. The Borough’s Fire Chief, William Behnke, and the Township’s Fire Chief, Joseph Jackson, Jr., say that the combined 47 SCBAs at both facilities have been subject to wear and tear over 14 to 15 years and “numerous documented failures.”

But thanks to an Assistance to Firefighters Grant totaling nearly $280,000.00 effective May 20, the two firehouses will be receiving 47 new SCBAs, each of which will consist of a harness/backpack, a face piece, and two breathing cylinders.

Chief Behnke reports that the two firehouses conducted a joint needs assessment and concluded that “replacing our old, obsolete, non-compliant, and failing SCBA is the highest priority for improving firefighter safety and operations in the region.”

Unlike the worn-out gear it will replace, the new equipment will be compatible with that used by neighboring firehouses. It will allow firefighters to communicate with each other, display the amount of cylinder air available, and provide access to “rapid intervention teams,” which rescue trapped firefighters. The equipment also has other technological features enhancing safety.

The total grant amounts to $293,750.00 with $13,988.00 being contributed locally.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency administers the AFG program. Dale McShine, director of FEMA’s Region II Grants and National Preparedness Division, said she is pleased that the new equipment will have such a positive impact on the firefighters’ personal well-being. “If they’re not safe, their ability to protect residents is also at risk.”

Located in southwestern New Jersey, and with a population of some 16,000 residents, Berlin Borough responded to 854 alarms last year, while the Township answered 806.

Berlin Mayor James Bilella says that this grant is “truly significant to a small town like ours because it allows us to serve our population effectively.” He added, “Our volunteer first responders need updated, modern equipment to do their jobs safely.”

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

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Berlin, NJ Firefighters to Receive New Personal Safety Equipment – Federal Grant will Fund Purchase

Aging Fire Hoses in Upstate New York Fire House Replaced By Federal Grant

NEW YORK — “We normally carry 1,000 feet of two and one-half-inch hose on each of our two engines and our ladder truck. But we are no longer able to do it and that’s not safe,” said Fire Chief Dan Smith of the Hornell, New York Fire Department.

“We used to have 3,250 feet of usable hose,” he said, “but we’re now down to 2,500 feet. The trouble is that we bought this hose, which is expensive, in the 1960s. It’s aging and it must comply with the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association or be taken out of service, Chief Smith explained.

“What’s worse,” he said, “we’ve had a number of hose lines burst while we’re on the job.”

But the chief was most pleased when he received confirmation this week that his department will receive an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) in the amount of $19,315.00 to purchase 3,250 feet of new hose and an assortment of new nozzles. With the local share of $965.00, the grant totals $20,280.00.

The AFG program is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Dale McShine, the director of FEMA Region II’s Grants and Preparedness Division, which awarded the grant, said she was “glad to have been able to be a part of providing such critical elements of a firefighter’s job.”

The Hornell Fire Department has 23 full-time paid firefighters, all of whom are cross-trained as emergency medical technicians. The department responds to more than 3,575 calls per year, many of which are for emergency medical services, for which the department is amply equipped with advanced life support equipment, including cardiac monitors.

Hornell’s Mayor Sean Hogan is delighted with FEMA’s grant. “That hose was nearly 40 years old,” he said, “and it simply had to be replaced.” If it weren’t for the AFG, he added, “We would have to add almost one percent to our local tax budget to cover the cost, which would be a hefty hit.” The mayor went on to say that if it were not for programs like to the AFG, local budgeting can become a “pretty catch-as-catch-can process.”

Located near the Finger Lakes, some 120 miles southeast of Buffalo, Hornell is a rural community of 46 square miles with 12,700 residents. The department also provides fire suppression and mutual aid services to an additional population of 36,280 in neighboring towns and villages.

Chief Smith says that he places a good deal of emphasis on fire prevention through house and apartment inspections, and promoting smoke detectors at schools and elsewhere. He adds that the department also provides smoke detectors to the largest at-risk group of residents over 65. His firefighters install these detectors and offer safety tips about falling, burns, and the like.

“You can never point to a fire or an accident you’ve prevented,” Chief Smith observes, “but it’s certainly true that an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.”

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.

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Aging Fire Hoses in Upstate New York Fire House Replaced By Federal Grant

FEMA aid reaches $16.9 billion for New York’s Hurricane Sandy Recovery

NEW YORK – FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration have disbursed nearly $16.9 billion for New York’s recovery since Hurricane Sandy made landfall on the East Coast three years ago. This amount includes more than $1 billion paid directly to survivors for housing and other essential needs through the Individuals and Households Program which ended April 30, 2014.

“As we continue to work with our state, local and tribal partners, as well as other federal agencies, our focus is to build back safer and stronger than before,” said New York Sandy Recovery Office Director John Covell.

FEMA leverages its resilience efforts through its Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation programs. FEMA’s Public Assistance Program has obligated nearly $9.8 billion in grants to state and local governments and eligible nonprofit organizations to cover the costs of emergency response, debris removal and the repair, restoration, replacement and mitigation of damaged public facilities. Of this amount, a total of $3 billion has been dedicated for mitigation measures. Under FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, approximately $512 million has been provided.

Covell stressed that 39 cents of every Public Assistance dollar spent in New York funded mitigation measures. In previous disasters, from 1998 until Hurricane Sandy, the average amount was 5 cents. This over 700 percent increase is meeting FEMA’s commitment to rebuild New York’s infrastructure in ways that will make it more resilient and better able to withstand storms.

A majority of the 4,127 Public Assistance grants for facilities damaged by the storm include parks, beaches, marinas, water treatment plants, hospitals, schools, public housing and other public buildings. In New York, FEMA reimburses 90 percent of eligible costs. The state is responsible for covering the remaining 10 percent.

In addition to FEMA’s housing and infrastructure programs, the National Flood Insurance Program has paid nearly $4 billion in claims to flood insurance policyholders and the Small Business Administration has approved over 23,000 SBA disaster loan applicants totaling more than $1.57 billion.

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FEMA aid reaches $16.9 billion for New York’s Hurricane Sandy Recovery

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.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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

Hurricane Sandy: After two years, $13.6 billion, FEMA continues N.Y. recovery

NEW YORK—Since Hurricane Sandy made landfall Oct. 29, 2012, FEMA, in partnership with the federal family and state and local governments, has been on the scene helping individuals, government entities and eligible non-profits as New York recovers from the storm’s devastation.

FEMA has funded more than 3,500 Public Assistance projects including repairing and restoring hospitals, schools, transit venues, waterways, parks, beaches, marinas, water treatment plants and public buildings. A roster of services has been restored, including utilities critical to everyday life. Billions of federal dollars have been expended during the past two years. The numbers below tell the story.

2	It has been two years since Hurricane Sandy struck New York.
$13.6 billion	Total FEMA has already provided to New York.
$1 billion	The dollars given to help survivors get back on their feet with temporary housing assistance, disaster unemployment and other needs assistance.
$3.9 billion	Amount paid by FEMA to 53,288 policyholders for flood claims through its National Flood Insurance Program.
$5.5 billion	Total Public Assistance obligated to communities and certain non-profit organizations to help recover from Hurricane Sandy and includes: $620.6 million for debris removal $1.22 billion for emergency work $3.68 billion for permanent work
$1.7 billion	Added to permanent repair projects to protect against future damage.
$84.7 million	Through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to projects throughout the state to protect against future damage.
$1.5 billion	Small Business Administration loans for homeowners and businesses affected by the storm.

To learn more about FEMA Public Assistance in New York, visit: fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit and dhses.ny.gov/oem/recovery.

For more information, visit http://www.fema.gov/sandy-recovery-office

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Hurricane Sandy: After two years, $13.6 billion, FEMA continues N.Y. recovery

National Flood Insurance Program Deadline Extended for Filing Claims

NEW YORK – FEMA has granted a six-month extension for National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders affected by Hurricane Sandy to file proof-of-loss claims.

The deadline is Oct. 29, 2014.

NFIP usually requires policyholders to submit a fully documented, signed and sworn proof-of-loss claim within 60 days from the date of their loss.

The magnitude of the Sandy disaster is the reason for this extension that will give policyholders additional time to file claims. This is the third six-month extension.

The Proof of Loss document is included in the claims package that documents flood losses. The claims package should include:

• photos and/or video of the flooding and resulting damage

• a comprehensive, itemized list of what was damaged

• receipts, if possible, for damaged items along with any other supporting documents showing the value of what you lost

To download a blank NFIP Proof of Loss document: http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=2545

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National Flood Insurance Program Deadline Extended for Filing Claims

New Yorkers: Prepare for severe weather before it strikes

NEW YORK – New Yorkers know about severe weather. After Hurricane Sandy, 2013 brought 15 significant weather events to New York, including winter snow and ice storms, a tornado, extreme heat, brush fires, heavy rains and flooding. Two of those events resulted in major disaster declarations for the state.

Next week, March 2-8, is National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, a nationwide campaign to remind everyone that severe weather can affect anyone. The effort is sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Across the U.S. last year, there were seven severe weather events that crossed the $1 billion mark in economic and property damage. These disasters, including floods, tornadoes and wildfires, caused the deaths of 109 people.

NOAA and FEMA urge all New Yorkers to understand the risks where you live and how severe weather could affect you and your family. Check weather forecasts, get a NOAA Weather Radio and sign up for local weather alerts from emergency management officials. Check NOAA’s National Weather Service website for more information: www.weather.gov.

Next, make sure you and your family are prepared for severe weather. Develop a family communication and disaster preparedness plan, keep important papers, medications and other essential items in a safe place and visit www.Ready.gov/severe-weather to learn more.

Being prepared for severe weather need not be complicated or costly. Keeping a few simple items handy in a disaster kit, for example, could end up being a lifesaver. Go to www.ready.gov/basic-disaster-supplies-kit to find out more about what to include in a basic kit and how to develop one for those with unique needs. The same information is available in Spanish at www.listo.gov.

Once you have taken action to prepare for severe weather, set an example by sharing your story with family and friends on any social media site. Be a “force of nature” and inspire others in your community to take action too. Pledge to prepare by signing up for America’s PrepareAthon on April 30 at www.fema.gov/americas-prepareathon.

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New Yorkers: Prepare for severe weather before it strikes

New York University, NYU Langone Medical Center, SUS-Mental Health receive FEMA grants

NEW YORK – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved Public Assistance grants to New York University, NYU Langone Medical Center and Services for the UnderServed (SUS)-Mental Health Program to reimburse costs for damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.

New York University has been awarded more than $1 million in funding. The grant covered a variety of needs including ensuring students’ safety, protection of campus data, temporary generators and a fuel oil tank.

NYU Langone Medical Center has been awarded $2.8 million to repair or replace damaged equipment that supported research functions for the Smilow Research Center.

Services for the UnderServed-Mental Health Program, Inc., an eligible private nonprofit human services agency, received more than $2 million in Public Assistance grants to repair a 71-bed residence facility that supports rehabilitative services for people who have a mental health condition and a history of homelessness.

For Hurricane Sandy, FEMA’s Public Assistance program reimburses local, state and tribal governments and eligible private nonprofit organizations 90 percent of eligible costs for emergency and permanent work. So far, FEMA has awarded $2.4 billion in Public Assistance grants to eligible New York applicants.

To learn more about FEMA Public Assistance in New York, visit: fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit and dhses.ny.gov/oem/recovery.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit fema.gov/sandyny, twitter.com/FEMASandy, facebook.com/FEMASandy and fema.gov/blog.

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New York University, NYU Langone Medical Center, SUS-Mental Health receive FEMA grants

$2.9 Million in Federal Funding Supports Ulster County’s Sandy Recovery

NEW YORK – FEMA has approved more than $2.9 million in Hurricane Sandy assistance to fund emergency efforts and help repair and rebuild public infrastructure in Ulster County.

To date, local, state and federal recovery officials have identified 50 projects from applicants in Ulster County that are eligible for Public Assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The $2,946,301 million represents 90 percent of the cost of approved PA projects that will be reimbursed by FEMA. The state manages the PA program and disburses funding.

A breakdown by category of work:

Debris Removal $ 548,185

Emergency Protective Measures $ 216,960

Roads and Bridges $ 49,448

Buildings and Equipment $ 29,596

Utilities $ 2,027,728

Parks, Recreational and Other Facilities $ 74,382

$962,623 is included in the funding for Ulster County for permanent work that will reduce or eliminate repeat disaster damage.

PA applicants can include:

state agencies
local and county governments
private nonprofit organizations that own or operate facilities that provide essential government-type services

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. Recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

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$2.9 Million in Federal Funding Supports Ulster County’s Sandy Recovery

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