Senate Bill S8700

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8700A

SPONSOR: RHOADS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to the administration of
grants under the volunteer fire infrastructure and response equipment
(V-FIRE) grant program

 
PURPOSE:

To amend the executive law in relation to the administration of grants
under the volunteer fire infrastructure and response equipment (V-FIRE)
grant program.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 709-b to
read as follows:

§ 709.b Administration of the volunteer fire infrastructure and response
equipment(V-FIRE) grant program. Funds available under the volunteer
              

fire infrastructure and response equipment (V-FIRE) grant program admin-
istered by the division shall be awarded in equal amounts to each region
of that state which have eligible departments.  Regions shall be estab-
lished in article eleven of the economic development law. The division
shall establish criteria for each region designated to identify eligible
fire departments within each region with the greatest needs. Such crite-
ria may limit eligibility to wholly volunteer districts but shall not
prohibit awards on the basis of the size of the department's operating
budget.

§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The V-FIRE grant program is designed to provide essential funding to
volunteer fire departments across New York State. However, by limiting
eligibility to municipalities with populations under 10,000 residents,
the program excludes many departments that still operate with volunteer
staff, outdated equipment, high operating costs and insufficient budg-
ets. Departments serving communities of 10,000 to 35,000 residents often
face the same challenges as their rural counterparts, including recruit-
ment shortages, aging apparatus, and increasing call volumes. These
departments serve growing populations but remain structurally under-
funded. Further, requiring V-FIRE grant funding be divided equally among
established economic regions assures that departments within each region
are evaluated on a regional, rather than state-wide basis. Expanding the
eligibility threshold in this way will ensure that more departments
qualify for financial support, enabling them to upgrade equipment,
provide necessary training, and improve safety for both firefighters and
the communities they serve on a more equitable basis.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.