Press Release

Gillibrand Announces More Than $75,000 for Savona Fire Department

Jan 23, 2013

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $75,288 in federal funding for the Savona Fire Department to replace obsolete air packs to help improve safety as they respond to emergencies. The funding was allocated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.

“This is an important investment for the Savona Fire Department,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Our fighters put their lives on the line to keep us safe, and it’s our job to make sure they have the right tools and resources. These new air packs with upgraded safety features will help the Savona Fire Department respond to emergencies more efficiently and effectively, and help save more lives.”

Savona Fire Department Chief Steve Beebe said, “these packs will allow us to protect our firefighters, and will include several safety updates such as an integrated PASS (Personal Alert Safety System) alarm that will alert others if a firefighter stops moving for a period of time and a HUD, or a heads-up display, that will indicate how much air is left in the air pack before it has to be refilled.  These new packs will make our volunteers’ jobs safer.”

The Savona Fire Department provides fire and emergency response services to residents of the Village of Savona and part of the town of Bath. The Savona Fire Department will use this federal funding to purchase 15 new air packs with upgraded features that will replace packs currently in use that are over 20 years old for these first responders as they respond to emergencies.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, established by FEMA within the Department of Homeland Security, is part of an effort to increase the nation’s emergency response preparation. This program provides federal funding to first responder organizations for the acquisition of personal protective equipment, firefighting vehicles, and emergency response equipment. The funds also help provide emergency response trainings.