Sen. Griffo secures funding to help fire departments purchase protective gear

State Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-Rome, announced today that he has secured $30,000 in funding that will assist fire departments throughout his district with the purchase of gear that will help keep firefighters safe when they respond to fire calls.

Several fire departments in Oneida, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties will use the funding to purchase Nomex hoods, which are worn under firefighters’ helmets and provide a heat resistant barrier that protects the wearer’s face and neck area.

The funding will be distributed as follows:

* Oneida County Volunteer Firemen's Association: $15,000
* St. Lawrence County: $8,000
* Lewis County: $7,000

“Every day, firefighters throughout my district drop everything at a moment’s notice and respond to fire calls in their communities without a second thought,” Sen. Griffo said. “While these brave firefighters are busy protecting us and our loved ones, we must make sure that they also are safe from harm. I was honored to secure funding that will be used to help fire departments in my district obtain equipment that will help them to stay safe while they are out fighting fires. This equipment will help us to make sure that our courageous firefighters get the protection they deserve.”

Dave Glenn, vice president of the Oneida County Volunteer Firemen’s Association, said that the hoods would be dispersed to departments that need them.

“The Oneida County Volunteer Firemen's Association would like to express our appreciation to Sen. Griffo for getting us this grant,” Glenn said. “This funding will go towards Nomex hoods for all firefighters. These Nomex hoods are used by all firefighters on the fire scene. The hood goes over their heads and around their necks to protect them from the extreme heat and smoke that they encounter.”

In St. Lawrence County, Michael LeCuyer, the county’s director of emergency services, said that, as the funding becomes available, the St. Lawrence County Office of Emergency Services would be purchasing a quantity of Nomex hoods to distribute equitably to the departments in the county that are within Sen. Griffo’s district.

“A firefighter’s personal protective equipment is vital in protecting first responders not only from hazards that are seen such as fire, but also the unseen chemicals that they are exposed to while performing the tasks encountered on a daily basis,” LeCuyer said. “Sen. Griffo’s awareness of this need, and his efforts to battle the incidence of cancer exposures, prompted him to pursue a grant opportunity through the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services to provide fire departments in his district with additional personal protective equipment. Those departments will benefit with the addition of Nomex hoods to bolster their personal protective equipment inventories.”

Robert MacKenzie, director of fire and emergency management for Lewis County, said that the funding would enable the distribution of an additional protective hood to every interior firefighter in Lewis County.

“It is recommended that all interior firefighters change and thoroughly wash these hoods after every smoke exposure,” MacKenzie said. “The expense of these hoods can be burdensome to the underfunded rural volunteer fire departments, which means only one hood is typically issued to each fire member and that there are no spares for the interior firefighters who receive the most exposure to the toxic smoke of today’s fires. The volunteer fire departments of Lewis County would like to graciously thank Sen. Griffo for supporting the fire service in Lewis County, which is one of a few 100-percent volunteer fire counties in the state.”

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