By Danny Teigman
The all-volunteer fire district will use the money to purchase 45 sets of personal protective equipment - coats, pants, helmets, fire hoods, gloves and boots - 20 sets of self-contained breathing apparatus and a state-of-the-art thermal imaging camera.
"[The camera will be] useful in finding hidden fires and, most importantly, in searching for victims," said Chief Tim Collins.
According to the grant paperwork, filed by Fire Commissioner Steven Weitz and obtained by the Herald, much of the equipment targeted for replacement is between 10 and 14 years old. Buttons and snaps no longer close properly, and fire-resistant hoods are warped and tattered. In some cases, uniforms are incomplete, mismatched and showing signs of fire-related stress and fatigue.
"I recognize the importance of providing the tools and equipment for the men and women in our fire district who provide fire protection and EMS services to our community," Weitz said.
The federal government's coverage of these updates will better protect firefighters from burns and smoke inhalation and allow the fire district to purchase other needed materials in the future, Collins said.
The district will receive $189,444 through the Firefighters Grant Program, with the total cost of the project expected to be $199,415. The remaining $9,971 will be covered by the fire district's operating budget, which comes mostly from residential property taxes.
Comprising just 10 square miles, the Lido/Point Lookout district serves a community of 4,384 with 85 firefighters and 35 EMS personnel. Along with mutual aid calls to locations like Freeport, Island Park, Baldwin and Long Beach, the district is the first responder when accidents occur on the Loop Parkway and off the community's shore. The diversity of rescue situations combined with Point Lookout's abundance of non-taxable parkland and limited commercial tax base gave the district an edge over other regions in need.
"The fire district has a responsibility to resident taxpayers, and one way to ease the property tax burden is to apply for federal and state grants," Weitz said. As a result, residential property taxes reflecting the district's operating costs will remain unchanged, he added.
Point Lookout Civic Association President Herb Abbe also believes the grant money will be a useful asset. "The Lido/Point Lookout fire district is doing an excellent job," Abbe said. "Considering post-9/11 issues, it is important for the fire district to have the latest equipment."
Pleased with the coming grant money, Collins noted that the purchases mean that the protection of all of his members will now meet National Fire Protection Association standards.
And the purchase of the thermal camera "pretty much brought us into the 21st century," Collins said.
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