Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson recently secured funding for the Plattekill Library and the Highland Hose Company.

 

On July 18, Jacobson presented a check for $15,000 to the Plattekill Library to purchase a new air conditioning system for its Community Room.

 

“Libraries are part of the core of all communities, and in a rural town such as Plattekill, they play an outsized role,” Jacobson said.

 

The assemblyman noted that a new air conditioning system could not have come at a better time, as the Hudson Valley has experienced a spike in heat levels in recent weeks.

 

Library Director Darren Lanspery thanked Jacobson for the funding.

 

“We were told last year that our system could go at any time, and Assemblyman Jacobson stepped up immediately to help us out,” Lanspery said. “The room is used regularly for library programs and by community groups, including the Golden Seniors, the Girl Scouts, and 4-H.”

 

The next day, Jacobson handed a check for $23,000 to the Highland Hose Company to purchase new bailout rope and hook systems that allow firefighters to quickly and safely exit a building from an upper floor in an emergency.

 

Fire Chief Peter Miller said the entire system only weighs 3 pounds but is critical in allowing a safe exit from a structure when needed.

 

Jacobson said this request started when he received a call from Ulster County Legislator Gina Hansut asking him to meet with Fire Chief Miller.

 

“We had a meeting, we came together, and he showed me what it was, and I said yes, we got it through, and that’s where we are at,” Jacobson said.

 

Miller said these rope systems were put in place after an incident in New York City where firefighters got trapped on the fifth floor and had to jump out without having these bailout systems. After this, NYS Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) and the Public Employee Safety and Health (PESH) bureau made it mandatory that any interior firefighter has to have a bailout system.

 

The infamous day, January 23, 2005, became known as Black Sunday when three firefighters of the NYC Fire Department (FDNY) died in two fires: two at a tenement fire in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx, with four others being seriously injured, and one at a house fire in the East New York section of Brooklyn. It was the deadliest day for the FDNY since the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001, and the first time since 1918 that firefighters had died at two separate incidents on the same day.

 

Miller said in the past, nothing in the fire department ever aged out, but now an expiration date has been placed on some firefighting equipment, such as turnout gear and the bailout system, to ensure that every firefighter can count on his equipment when most needed in an emergency. The Highland Department has bailout ropes that are 50 feet in length and can be used in buildings with four stories.

 

“This is all required for good reason, and I was glad to help out. This is one of the more enjoyable parts of my job, and it’s just great that I am able to do it,” Jacobson said. He told the fire department, “If you need something, I’m here.”

 

Miller said his department is grateful for the funding.

 

“We know getting money out of the government is as hard as opening a tuna fish can with a plastic fork. At that point, we needed it, and with Gina’s help, we were able to get the money we needed to do this project, and it was very beneficial.” He said the new bailout systems are rated to last for 10 years before they must be replaced.

 

Hansut said she became interested in helping the fire department after reading an article about the availability of state funding for first responders.

 

“One of the most enjoyable things that I get to do is things like this and to see it go from reading an article to reaching out, and now we stand here with new equipment to help these volunteer firemen; there’s nothing better than that,” she said. “So I called the chief and asked if he could possibly use anything at all, and he said yes, we can actually use this. About five of us met with Assemblyman Jacobson at his office and showed him the state of the equipment. He is just a great partner for local government and bringing state funding to us. It was rather seamless, and we don’t often get to say that about government. I am just happy for all of you.”

 

Fire Commissioner Alan Barone thanked Jacobson for securing the funds “and for what you do for our community. We, as the Board of Fire Commissioners, always look out for the safety of our members because we don’t want to lose anyone for any reason whatsoever.”