First Responders In Croton, Ossining, Yorktown, Buchanan See Support

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — First responders have our backs when we need them the most, and a lawmaker has made a point of remembering them when it comes time to award state grants.

State Assemblyperson Dana Levenberg announced nearly $600,000 in capital and operating grants for first responder organizations in Assembly District 95.

"I would like to thank Assemblywoman Levenberg, Mayor Pugh, and the rest of the Village Board and staff for their work to help us replace our aging tower ladder," Joshua Karpoff, Chief of the Croton Fire Department, said. "Our existing apparatus is over 20 years old; to expect it to last much longer would not really be good planning for the future. The new apparatus will be state of the art and allow us to protect not only the Village, our outer fire districts and our mutual aid neighbors, but also one of Metro-North's main maintenance yards, which is right here in Croton. Thank you again to everyone for your efforts in funding this new equipment, and to the members of our fire department for everything they do every day to help this community."

The recipients of funding are:

• The Village of Croton Fire Department: $250,000 for a new tower ladder truck.
• The Ossining Volunteer Ambulance Corps: $200,000 for a new ambulance.
• The Yorktown Heights Fire Department: $125,000 for a new fire training center.
• Buchanan Fire Company No. 1: $20,000 for extrication and auto accident equipment.

"We cannot have healthy communities without a strong cadre of first responders. It is an honor to support the work of these four organizations, which provide invaluable, essential services," Levenberg said. "We are so grateful for all the work our fire departments and ambulance corps do to keep our residents safe and healthy."

The grants were secured through NYS’s Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability and Technology (CREST) program and the fiscal year 2025 state budget, as part of the state's ongoing efforts to support local communities and their economic development.

"Our firefighters provide tremendous skill and talent as volunteers, and they deserve the very best when it comes to equipment. We are very grateful to be able to replace this tower ladder with the help of Assemblywoman Levenberg," Village of Croton Mayor Brian Pugh said. "Because of this grant and other funding sources, our new ladder truck will only cost Village of Croton taxpayers $10,000. This investment will help our firefighters serve the Village of Croton and an adjoining fire district along with other communities throughout northern Westchester, through mutual aid. Thank you again to Assemblywoman Levenberg and the State of New York for enabling us to make this purchase without overburdening our local taxpayers."

First responders said the public safety improvements will be noticeable right away .

"Our department remains steadfast in our commitment to fiscal responsibility, and thanks to the efforts of Assemblywoman Levenberg, we have secured a grant to update our vehicle extrication equipment," Kieran J. Outhouse, Second Assistant Chief, Buchanan Engine Company No. 1, said. "This funding enables us to improve our capabilities and ensure the safety of our community without straining the Village's budget."