Hoosick Falls picked for federal fire grant

HOOSICK FALLS, N. Y. » The Hoosick Falls Joint Fire District was among six Capital Region fire companies to receive federal grant money announced earlier this week by the state’s two U. S. senators.

Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced Tuesday that the fire district would receive $ 47,429 fromthe federal Assistance to Firefighters grant program to purchase a new air compressor fill station for firefighter breathing apparatus. The grant was among more than $ 280,000 in awards announced by the senators, with money also going to the Claverack, Halfmoon- Waterford No. 1 and Stuyvesant Falls fire districts, as well as the Glens Falls Fire Department and Granville Engine and Hose Co. No. 1.

“This funding will allow our members to refill [ air tanks] at our station, minimizing the time spent out of district,” Hoosick Falls Chief Paul Aleksonis explained in a news release announcing the grants. “It will also allow members to get the equipment back in service faster for the protection of our firefighters and the residents of the district.”

Aleksonis said the fill station will also be made available to other area departments as needed.

“These federal funds allow our fire departments to purchase the up- to- date equipment they need to do their jobs safely,” Gil-

librand said. “Every day, our first responders risk their lives to protect us, and I will always fight in the Senate to make sure our local fire departments have the support they need to do their jobs effectively.”

Assistance to Firefighters grants are administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in cooperation with the United States Fire Administration and are awarded on a competitive basis to applicants that most closely address the program’s priorities and demonstrate financial need. For more information on the program, visit www.fema.gov/firegrants.