Jones announces three bills to support volunteer fire departments

PLATTSBURGH | On Oct. 13, Assemblyman Billy Jones announced three bills to help address key issues facing volunteer fire departments across the state. One bill creates a Volunteer Firefighter Training Fund to help cover the cost of travel and missing work. Another creates a college scholarship for new members and the third creates the Volunteer Fire Department Capital Fund to provide funding for much-needed capital improvements at departments across the state. "We need to provide resources, the State of New York, I'm calling on them to step up to help them get the resources," Jones stated. VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT CAPITAL FUND "This will help out with volunteer fire departments all throughout New York State to help them with capital needs: equipment and buildings," said Jones. The "Establishes the Volunteer Fire Departments Capital Fund; appropriation" bill proposed will allocate $100 million (effective immediately once the bill is signed) to help struggling districts pay for the necessary improvements as well as purchase large equipment needed to keep our communities safe. "... a lot of these fire departments they're in need of equipment and in need of buildings and/or upgrades and space for them," Jones said. This fund will take money from the capital fund to be used for the purpose of making grants to qualifying, participating volunteer fire departments based on the criteria established by the New York State Office of Fire Prevention. "We find in our department that costs are just astronomical. It costs about $4,000 to outfit a firefighter in bunker gear alone. Airbags are pushing around $10,000 a piece and the costs, as I say it, are getting crazy. Fuel costs we all know are up there, whatever we need and we're looking at the fact that our budgets just don't cover the needs, they cover the day-to-day operations but they aren't able to cover the expansions. We're just outgrowing our station, we need more area, we need better area, we need better training areas for our members in our own departments," Beekmantown Volunteer Fire Department Chief Darryl Menard said. Volunteer fire departments currently rely on fundraising to purchase new, or extra equipment due to how tight the budgets can be. The Champlain Volunteer Fire Department is currently in the process of building a new station, which will sit on land that was purchased through fundraising. Chris Trombley, Champlain Fire Department commissioner, said, "We're looking at a new location, we did some fundraising, purchased our own land, it's been a long endeavor." VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER SCHOLARSHIP FUND The "Creates a volunteer firefighter scholarship program and a volunteer firefighter scholarship fund; appropriation" bill will amend the education law and the state finance law. One million dollars will be appropriated to the scholarship fund, which will go into effect 180 days after the bill is signed into law, and will be eligible to active volunteer firefighters who have attended at least 25 percent of emergency calls each year. Student loans accrued while attending a private or public institution or an accredited trade school or vocational program in New York State that resulted in a bachelor's degree at an approved program or a certificate or license will be eligible for this program. The program uses various concepts of the Excelsior Scholarship program. The program will offer loan forgiveness options for students that meet the requirements and serve their community as volunteer firefighters. "The biggest thing that we're in need of here in our small communities, in our rural communities, in all of our communities quite frankly is recruitment of volunteer firefighters and retention of our great firefighters, volunteer firefighters, here," stated Jones. Jones added, "So it's a scholarship fund to try to enhance people, individuals, to join the volunteer fire department." TRAINING FUND The last bill that Jones announced was "Creates a Volunteer Firefighter Training Fund; appropriation" which will amend the general municipal law and the state finance law in relation to creating a volunteer firefighter training fund. One million dollars will be allocated to this fund, which will take effect 180 days after the bill is signed into law. "The Volunteer Firefighter Training Fund will provide funding to pay firefighters during trainings so that they can take time off work, similar to the jury duty system. The fund will also help cover travel costs. We depend on volunteer firefighters for public safety and they need financial support to continue to provide these important services," the justification of the bill reads. "As volunteer fire departments struggle to recruit and retain new members, the scholarship and training fund will go a long way towards helping districts with membership," said Scott Ewing, 1st vice president of New York State Association of Fire Chiefs. "Capital improvements and new stations will give fire departments something to take pride in which will also help local fire departments recruit and retain members. It is estimated that it takes approximately 150 hours for new recruits to complete Firefighter 1 training which would allow them to sit in the back of the firetruck and go on calls. Firefighter 2 training is approximately 50 additional hours. Accident Vehicle Extrication Technician, Apparatus Operator Pump, and Apparatus Operator Aerial Ladder are just some of the positions in the fire department that all require additional training. Director of Clinton County Emergency Services Eric Day said, "I can tell you that in the volunteer world, we struggle to get folks to take, as far as state-offered training, we struggle to get folks to take more than Firefighter 1. It's a big time commitment for folks." It is hoped the three bills will help attract more community members into becoming volunteer firefighters. All volunteer fire departments are facing volunteer shortages and those interested in becoming volunteer firefighters are encouraged to stop by their local fire stations and fill out an application.

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Jones announces three bills to support volunteer fire departments

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