Friday, January 17, 2025
The Long Beach City Council approved a $600,000 grant from Nassau County during its Tuesday meeting, designated for the city’s Fire Department.
The grant, financed by leftover pandemic-related American Rescue Plan Act funds, requires no local match and is structured to release half of the money upfront, with the other half contingent on meeting specific requirements.
“I’m thankful for everyone that applied for these grants, and this is a wonderful grant, where it’s not a match,” Councilman Mike Reinhart said. “We actually get half the money upfront, and whenever we can supply our Fire Department with new equipment to keep our community safe, I think it’s a wonderful thing, especially through a grant.”
City Comptroller Inna Reznik explained that to comply with the terms of the grant, the city and the county must sign a contract by Dec. 31, and all of the money must be spent by Dec. 31, 2026.
Some purchases for the Fire Department, such as power lifts for emergency vehicles, are being funded under the city’s capital projects. The grant will be used to purchase a new ambulance and medical equipment, because the department responds to a high volume of emergency calls.
Council members acknowledged the efforts of County Legislator Pat Mullaney, who supported the process of securing the grant. James Hodge, a longtime community leader and activist, and Fire Department representative Sam Pinto spoke during the public comment period on Tuesday, praising the city’s grant writers, officials and department personnel for their work in securing the funding and maintaining critical emergency services.
“I just want to say thank you to Nassau County Legislator Mullaney and the city administration for processing and receiving this grant funding for important equipment,” Pinto, a department lieutenant and paramedic, said. “Our ambulances run very often, very busy. New equipment is important. Funding for equipment is very important. I appreciate everyone’s effort in working on this.”
The grant is the latest funding award that Long Beach has received this year. In November, the city and the Police Department were awarded a $300,000 grant by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, a division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Distributed over three years at $100,000 per year, the grant will fund the creation of a narcotics division in the LBPD, which has not been possible in recent years due to budget constraints. The unit will be led by a new detective, and will focus on combating drug-related crime, including the sale and use of illegal substances.
Police Commissioner Richard DePalma previously noted that narcotics offenses are often linked to other criminal activity, and that the creation of the division will not only address drug-related issues, but also improve the overall quality of life in the city.
In October, State Assemblyman Ari Brown announced a $100,000 grant from the State and Municipal Facilities Program, which will support capital improvements to both City Hall and the Police Department. The funding is designated for enhancing public services and infrastructure, and to ensure that the city’s government buildings are equipped to serve the community effectively.
