Poughkeepsie Gets $1M In Fire Apparatus Funding From State

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- The city of Poughkeepsie will be getting a $1 million grant to replace a 20-year-old firetruck and purchase other equipment, Mayor Rob Rolison announced recently.

The city of Poughkeepsie has been awarded a $1 million grant to replace a 20-year-old firetruck and other apparatus. From left are Fire Chief Mark Johnson, state Assemblyman Frank Skartados and Mayor Rob Rolison.
Photo Credit: *City of Poughkeepsie*

Carol Reif

10/17/2016 4:00 a.m.

The grant was organized by state Assemblyman Frank Skartados, D-Milton.

First on the to-do list is replacing Engine 2, located at the Public Safety Building at 505 Main St.

According to Fire Chief Mark Johnson, the truck is the department’s “FAST engine” (FAST stands for Firefighter Assist Search Team).

In 2015, Engine 2 responded to 1,988 calls and has already gone on 1,594 calls this year, Johnson said.

It responds to mutual aid calls from neighboring towns and carries the Jaws of Life, a hydraulic tool used to extract victims after car accidents.

Calling public safety “the first priority of government,” Rolison said the truck and other equipment are “major capital costs” that the city couldn’t have afforded without outside assistance.

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