Jana DeCamilla
The Post-Star, Glens Falls, N.Y.
(TNS)
Mar. 8—A local fire department told Warren County they “don’t want a pancake to stop us from saving a life.”
The North Queensbury Volunteer Fire Company on the east side of Lake George is requesting $150,000 to replace a hovercraft airboat from the 1990s used for water rescues in Warren County.
Volunteer fireman of 50 years Harold Halliday and assistant fire chief of the company Peter Carr went before the Warren County American Rescue Plan Act Committee on Friday to explain the need for replacing the current piece of equipment.
The boat, originally intended for recreation, was given to the fire company from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office after they experienced numerous maintenance issues with it.
“It came to a head a couple weeks ago. You probably saw on TV. We had a gentleman ice skate across Glen Lake to test the ice for everybody and it wasn’t good, so he fell through and unfortunately our hovercraft broke down after leaving shore to rescue the guy,” Halliday said.
“We were still able to get out of the lake safely. ‘The elders,’ as I call us, talked at the station and decided we need to replace this vehicle to take care of the people in the county.
“In order for us to replace the hovercraft we would need to have 67 pancake breakfasts or spaghetti dinners, but if someone is in trouble on thin ice, I don’t want a pancake to stop us from saving a life.”
Halliday said in his 50 years at North Queensbury, he has never come before any board or committee to request funds or grants for services, aside from their allotment factored into the Queensbury town budget.
“I’m very proud that our fire company has been very fiscally responsible in taking care of the equipment that we have and with everything we do keeping the budget in mind,” he said. “We have a great board of directors and a lot of businessmen running the fire company.”
Halliday went on to tell the committee they have maintained the hovercraft in-house and have not requested funds for a replacement, but the boat is used all over the county.
“Help us help all the people in Warren County,” he said.
Halliday noted that the county also has a marine rescue team that responds to any marine incident within the county. His department’s full rescue team has five or six fully-trained, certified scuba divers with their own gear.
The money requested would cover the costs of a new boat, trailer and gear.
“I don’t want to be greedy; I’ve never done this before. I’m just telling you what we need and if not, we ask you to come to our pancake breakfasts and spaghetti dinners,” Halliday said.
The fire company’s request was tentatively approved by the committee, pending the submission of a formal application for ARPA funds which had not been completed at the time of the meeting, and approval from the full Warren County Board of Supervisors.
Other business
The committee also reviewed some of the remaining ARPA applications. The remaining ARPA fund balance was at $734,704 at the start of the meeting.
The committee voted to approve the following recommendations totaling $455,873:
* $100,000 for the Salvation Army of Glens Falls
* $150,000 for the North Queensbury Fire Department
* $80,000 for the Warren County Historical Society
* $28,358 for the Bay Ridge Fire Department
* $97,515 for the Warrensburg Emergency Squad
The recommendations are all subject to approval from the full board at the March 17 meeting