Last week the Highland Rotary Club handed out two checks, each for $7,500, to the Lloyd Police Department and the Highland Hose Company.

 

Rotary President Steve Laubach said the money was raised from a successful Golf Outing fundraiser that was held in May at Apple Greens and was hosted by the Highland Rotary Club. He said the funds will be used for safety equipment that both departments need but has not been budgeted for; “that will keep them safe while they are keeping us safe, that’s the idea.”  Laubach said this was only the second year of the golf outing fundraiser. Last year the club raised $10,000, which they donated to the fire department.

 

“This year we decided to give to both first responder groups and we are going to continue to do it that way going forward,” he said. “We did a little better this year with the golf tournament this year; it was very well received by the community and many local businesses jumped up to help us help the police and fire departments.”

 

Steve DiLorenzo, Chairman of the Fire Commissioners, said the money will be used to replace their emergency inflatable air bag system, “that lifts a car up at an accident. The present system is about 30 years old and that’s what the chief said they’re going to put this many towards; that $7,500 is going to pay for most of it.”

 

DiLorenzo said the $10,000 the Rotary gave them last year was used for new bail-out equipment.

 

“Interior firefighters have to have this bail out equipment where they can [safely] jump out of a window with the lines,” he said. “It was at the end of its useful life and it’s only good for so long and had to be replaced.”

 

Lloyd Police Chief James Janso said his department will use the money to outfit their police vehicles with shotgun holders.

 

“Right now they [shotguns] are contained in the trunk, which is less safe and secure and less accessible to the officers. We’re also going to update and get more radios for our full-time officers and will have a bigger radio selection.” He said they are rented on a yearly basis from COMCO, a Poughkeepsie-based company.

 

“The funds will help us get a dozen more radios for our members,” he said.  

 

Chief Janso is appreciative of the donation, pointing out that Rotary has supported his department for more than a decade.

 

“They have always come through and gave us money for in-car cameras years ago and we were one of the first to have them,” he recalled. “They supported our youth recreation league for the kids and have come out to assist us. They are a great organization and I can’t thank them enough.”

 

Janso said as the year progresses he reviews his budget to see what he needs to purchase in the coming year. He does this on an on-going basis, believing in the adage that, “It is better to keep up than to catch up; with equipment and technology spending you’ll never catch up and the prices these days are astronomical from a year or two ago.” He said this year's donation will allow him to purchase items that he would otherwise have had to budget for a year or two into the future.

 

Chief Janso is always looking at grant possibilities but most are matching grants that his department would have to pay half of making many grants out of reach. He said the annual budget for his department runs about $2.1 million. He noted that it is a challenge to stay within budget, knowing it is the taxpayer who bears the burden, “but if I can still maintain what I need to get and stay within budget, I’m happy.”  

 

Lloyd Supervisor Dave Plavchak was one of many who played at the golf outing in May. He said about 130 people played.

 

“I’m sure the donations will help them, as you know how hard it is to find money for new equipment, which keeps going up,” he said.  

 

Plavchak said the Highland Rotary “has been a great partner for the town and they do a lot of things with the Events Committee, with the kids and at the high school. They do a lot for the community and I personally appreciate them.”