Roscoe, NY - Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) today announced that the Roscoe-Rockland Fire District has been awarded an $103,360 federal grant to purchase new equipment to keep the public safe and protect firefighters.

"These federal dollars will play a critical role in ensuring that firefighters have the equipment they need to respond to fires and other emergencies while keeping themselves safe," Hinchey said. "Fire districts like Roscoe-Rockland often need new equipment, but lack the funding to obtain them, which is why these federal resources are so important.  Our local communities rely on volunteer firefighters, and it is absolutely necessary that these individuals have the best equipment possible."

The Roscoe-Rockland Fire District will use the federal funds to pay for a Thermal Imaging Camera that allows firefighters to find unconscious victims in smoke-filled rooms, pinpoint the sources of fires, and detect structural dangers before they cause injury and death.  The fire district will also purchase 10 new Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) units, which are worn by firefighters to provide breathable air while combating fires or working in other hostile environments; 20 sets of turnout gear; 10 pagers; and two sets of chemical and biological hazmat suits.

The funds come from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the United States Fire Administration (USFA).  As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Hinchey has worked to secure full funding for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, since its inception in 2001.  Since the fire grant program started, more than $12 million in grants have been awarded to fire and emergency departments in Hinchey's congressional district. 

The congressman has sponsored a number of workshops across his congressional district to help fire departments successfully navigate the grant application process.  Hinchey is also the author of the SERVE (Supporting Emergency Responders' Volunteer Efforts) Act, which would provide a $1,000 federal tax credit to individuals who are active members of volunteer firefighting and EMS organizations.  The congressman plans to reintroduce that bill in the near future.