Senator Michelle Hinchey Delivers $50,000 Grant to Pleasant Valley Fire District for Utility Terrain Vehicle

PLEASANT VALLEY, NY – Senator Michelle Hinchey today announced that she has secured a $50,000 state grant to allow the Pleasant Valley Fire District (PVFD) to purchase a utility terrain vehicle (UTV). The new land rescue vehicle will allow members of the PVFD to fight fires and conduct rescues in wooded areas, on farmlands, and on trails inaccessible to firetrucks, including the 917-acre Taconic Hereford Multiple Use Area — one of the largest state forests in Dutchess County. Hinchey has secured more than $1 million in grant funding for SD-41 firehouses in Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, and Ulster counties this year alone.

Senator Hinchey visited the Pleasant Valley Fire District on Wednesday alongside PVFD Board Chairman Jim Albrecht, District Chief Mike Cosenza, 1st Assistant Chief Ray Broas, 2nd Assistant Chief John Cronk, Commissioner Bill Geerlings, UTV Committee Bob McRitchie, UTV Committee Wayne Gruntler, UTV Committee John Hopper, ESS Captain Travor Simoni Career Firefighter and Training Officer, Tom Murphy, and Director of Purchasing John Harmuth.

Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “The brave members of the Pleasant Valley Fire District navigate challenging terrain to rescue people in our remote rural areas, sometimes forced to cover long distances on foot – and at great personal risk to themselves – due to the lack of essential equipment, such as a UTV. I was incredibly proud to deliver a $50,000 state grant to ensure the Pleasant Valley Fire District could add a UTV to its arsenal of emergency response equipment, which will directly lead to shorter response times, making us all safer. It’s a privilege to support the people who put their lives on the line each day to protect ours, and I’m glad to deliver this funding for the Pleasant Valley Fire District.”

James Albrecht, Chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners, Pleasant Valley Fire District, said, "Funds for substantial rescue equipment are limited, underscoring the vital importance of grants like the one sponsored by New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey. The Pleasant Valley Fire District (PVFD) has, in the past, faced challenges, resorting to walking for rescues in remote terrains due to the limitations of 4x4 vehicles, resulting in response time delays. With a growing number of emergency calls involving injured hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders in remote areas, the need for a UTV to expedite access in these situations and enhance our wildland firefighting capabilities became urgent. PVFD is profoundly grateful for Senator Hinchey's support, as it fulfills this critical need for a UTV that other funding sources, including FEMA, couldn't entirely cover."

The grant funding was secured by Senator Hinchey through the State and Municipal Facilities Capital (SAM) grant program administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) to support community and economic development.

Senator Hinchey is also responsible for securing $25 million in the FY’24 State Budget to create the first-ever Volunteer Fire Services Capital Fund – a resource to help New York’s volunteer departments pay for needed equipment and building upgrades, which will launch later this fall. Hinchey also championed $750,000 in the FY’24 budget to support the New York State Professional Fire Fighters Association, which will aid professional fire departments.
 

###