Hinchey Delivers $189,000 for Village of Coxsackie to Fund Fire Department Equipment and New Community Pavilion

Coxsackie, NY – Senator Michelle Hinchey today announced the delivery of $189,000 in state funding to the Village of Coxsackie that she secured to support first responders and local infrastructure.

The funding includes $87,000 for the Coxsackie Fire Department for new portable radios, enhancing communication and safety for firefighters. The new radios will ensure that every firefighter entering a fire scene has their own advanced communication device, a major improvement over the old system that required groups of firefighters to share equipment. A second grant for $102,000 has fully funded the construction of a new steel pavilion, replacing an aging wooden structure that had become unsafe. The pavilion, located in McQuade Park, will serve as a hub for community events and recreation. The grants were announced at the site of the newly completed pavilion as part of a ribbon cutting event hosted by Coxsackie Mayor Mark Evans, recognizing Senator Hinchey’s contributions.

Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “Delivering the resources that small communities like Coxsackie need – whether that’s new equipment for the local fire department or infrastructure for community spaces where residents can come together - is one of the best parts of advocating for our upstate communities in the State Senate. I’m incredibly proud to deliver this funding for the Village and Coxsackie Fire Department, and I look forward to seeing how these investments will strengthen the community and improve safety for everyone.”

 

“The new Pavilion replaces a 40-year-old wood structure that had become dangerous and had to come down. We were faced with not having a Pavilion anymore because we simply did not have the funds to erect a replacement. The $102,000 grant from Senator Hinchey provided all the funds needed to put up a much better and nicer steel Pavilion that will last generations,” said Coxsackie Mayor Mark Evans. “And as a firefighter, I know that the most important thing in fighting a fire is communications. Having good communication is key to safety and making sure that all firefighters go home at the end of a call. The $87,000 grant that Sen. Hinchey provided for radios will provide for a portable radio for every firefighter going into a fire not just one radio for a group, raising the safety level. The new radios are more advanced than the current ones, allowing easier and clearer communications.”

Stephen Salluce Jr., Chief of the Coxsackie Fire Department, said, “We, the Coxsackie Fire Department, are tremendously grateful for Senator Hinchey’s generous grant and ongoing commitment to our department. Communication is a top priority in the fire service, as many of us know that miscommunication and missed transmissions can be catastrophic, and even tragic. Our newly gifted radios will provide us with a clear and concise communication platform, while also enabling interoperability across various frequencies and bandwidths.”

Community Member Victoria Dougherty said, “Our fitness group will now merrily resume using the pavilion for workouts. Just as we build our strength through exercising and our resilience through laughter and mutual support, so it is with the availability of safe public spaces like this that communities become stronger and more resilient.“

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