Bishop and Israel Announce $112,500 Federal Grant for Holbrook Fire District

Publication: 
Fire Engineering.com
Feb
16
2012

The following information was released by the office of New York Rep. Tim Bishop:

Congressmen Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) and Steve Israel (D-Dix Hills) announced today that Holbrook Fire District has been awarded $112,500 in federal funding through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. The AFG award will allow Holbrook Fire District to purchase two new radio base stations to replace old and obsolete equipment, allowing for interoperability with several spectrums of frequencies and more effective coordination among local public safety agencies.

Last fall, Bishop and Israel both wrote letters of support for Holbrook Fire Districts application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which administers the AFG program.

Holbrook Fire District protects some of Suffolk Countys most important transportation infrastructure as well as thousands of families every day, and Im pleased that federal funding will allow them to better serve the community by improving their radio interoperability, said Congressman Bishop.

This federal funding will allow the Holbrook Fire District to purchase much needed communications equipment, said Congressman Israel. The men and women who serve the Holbrook Fire District need these tools to keep the community and themselves safe. It was an honor to support Holbrooks application and I commend them on this award.

Established in 1927, the Holbrook Fire District serves as the primary fire department for the hamlet of Holbrook and for some addresses in Holtsville, Blue Point, Bayport, Sayville and Bohemia, with a total area of 11.4 square miles and a population of over 27,000. Long Island MacArthur, a regional four runway airport that recorded nearly one million passengers last year, sits within Holbrook FD. The Ronkonkoma train station, a growing hub along the Long Island Rail Road, sees as many as 72 trains pass through its gates each day. Also included in the fire district are eight elementary and middle schools, and the Northville Petroleum Holtsville Terminal, a facility with a storage capacity of 380,000 barrels of oil.

Holbrook Fire District serves communities in both the First and Second Congressional Districts of New York represented by Bishop and Israel, respectively.