Montauk Fire Department Awarded $175K Grant For Equipment Upgrade

MONTAUK, NY — The Montauk Fire Department has been awarded a $175,562 grant for equipment upgrades, according to Rep. Lee Zeldin.

The funding was secured through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters grant program; in Sept. 2017, Zeldin voted to fully fund the AFG program at $345 million as part of the Make America Secure Appropriations Act of 2018, he said.

“Our first responders put their lives on the line each and every day to protect us, and it is our responsibility to ensure they have everything they need to safely and effectively do their jobs," Zeldin said. “That’s why today I am proud to announce this essential funding for the Montauk Fire Department, so they can make necessary equipment upgrades and purchases to continue to exceptionally serve our community.”

Montauk Chief Fire Engineer Vincent Franzone reflected on the news: “It is with great pleasure that I have received the news from Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters grant program that the Montauk Fire Department will receive $175,562."

The money, he said, will help to purchase "much needed pre-hospital cardiac care equipment that allows us to continue the outstanding service our emergency medical technicians have been providing. As with most East End towns our population swells from a modest 4,000 to well over 75,000 in the peak season. Our proximity to Stony Brook University Hospital, an hour away, makes the job of our EMTs that of life support, not just transport."

The grant, he added, will allow for the purchase of equipment that will relay vital information to the hospital while en route and "that will, without a doubt, save lives."

Franzone thanked Donna Hitscherich, Dawn Lucas, Captain Dustin Lightcap and Lieutenant Robert Mautshke for making the grant process a success for the Montauk Fire Department.

Photo by Richard Lewin Professional Photography, soniboy@aol.com.