Hannawa Falls fire department awarded federal funding for new truck

HANNAWA FALLS - The volunteer fire department has gotten a big boost from its friends in Washington.

The Hannawa Falls Volunteer Fire Department has been awarded $57,000 in federal funding, money that will be used towards the purchase of a new brush truck.

“We are delighted with the good news,” Kenneth W. Eurto, chief of the Hannawa Falls Volunteer Fire Department, said in a press release Thursday. “This grant will help my department handle the tough terrain involved in wild-land fighting. Both our firefighters and citizens will benefit from the more efficient response to these difficult scenes.”

For years the department has relied upon its aging 1979 Ford 350 brush truck. Equipped with a 300-gallon water tank and wildland fire equipment, the one ton truck is used to extinguish fires in remote, less-developed areas.

Officials say the new truck will help the department fight fires more efficiently and reduce the department’s mounting maintenance costs.

“This is an important investment for the Hannawa Falls Volunteer Fire Department,” Sen. Kristen E. Gillibrand, who announced the award, said in the release. “Our first responders need up-to-date equipment so they can respond to demanding situations quickly, safely and effectively.”

The department is responsible for approximately 40 square-miles and 2,500 residents in and around Pierrepont, responding to roughly 115 calls every year.

“This federal grant will not only ensure that the town of Pierrepont is better protected during emergencies, but will also benefit surrounding communities with limited access to firefighting resources,” Sen. Gillibrand, D-NY, said.

The funding was allocated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.

Established within the Department of Homeland Security, the program is part of an effort to increase the nation’s emergency response preparation.

Through the program federal funding is awarded to various first responder organizations for the purchase of personal protective equipment, firefighting vehicles, and emergency response equipment. The funds also help provide emergency response trainings.