State fire officials fear cuts could hinder fire training
Story Created:
Oct 8, 2009 at 3:12 PM EST
Story Updated:
Oct 8, 2009 at 4:48 PM EST
(WKTV) - State fire officials fear fire prevention and training will be cut from next year's state budget. To prevent that, many of them have been lobbying lawmakers to keep the funding.
One of the biggest challenges today is getting newer, younger volunteer recruits, said Firemen's Association of the State Of New York First Vice President David Jacobowictz. Jacobowictz says that if state funding is cut, that challenge becomes more daunting.
"What I am hearing is that they are being real stingy this year," Jacobowictz said. "They are telling you you got 1,100 hours. But right now you're only going to get these hours. A lot of people will be left in the lurch."
The FASNY Vice President says when funding is cut at the state level, the effects are felt in the Mohawk Valley.
"When they cut us at the state level, it hurts us here in Whitesboro and Yorkville, the mills, or Booneville or Camden...wherever," he said. "Because when you don't have the volunteer firefighters volunteering, or if you can't get them trained to volunteer, that causes a problem. The buildings burn down and people get hurt."
The office of fire prevention and control is in the Department of State - a line item in the state budget, said Jacobowictz. He says that funding is used to provide a plethora of fire classes.
However, Jacobowictz admits not all of those classes are of the utmost importance to all firefighters. That's why he would like to see a focus on training if funds were to be cut.
"There are a lot of other courses being offered out there that are special courses," he said. "So, when the new firefighter comes in, if he doesn't get the training he will get bored and say there is nothing for me to do here and he will move on."
Jacobowictz himself was part of the lobbying efforts in Albany just this past week to try to get the governor to hold the line on funding on fire safety.
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