Senator Mannion Secures $300,000 in SUNY Impact Aid for Oswego Town Volunteer Fire Department

OSWEGO, NY – Senator John W. Mannion today announced that he has secured $300,000 in SUNY Impact Aid for the Oswego Town Volunteer Fire Department.

The Oswego Town Volunteer Fire Department provides emergency services for the entire Town of Oswego and the SUNY Oswego campus. The Town of Oswego is home to more than 7,500 residents, but during the school year, the population essentially doubles with the addition of 7,000 SUNY Oswego students. Over the last two years, there has been a 104 percent increase in call volume for assistance at SUNY Oswego, compared to a 12 percent increase in call volume by town residents.

Senator John W. Mannion said, “The Oswego Town Volunteer Fire Department is a vital part of our community, and this funding will help volunteer first responders continue to provide the highest level of service to residents and to meet the demands associated with hosting a SUNY campus. This funding will help to offset the costs associated with the increased call volume that the department has experienced in recent years, due in part to the large student population at SUNY Oswego.”

Greg Herrmann, Assistant Chief of the Oswego Town Volunteer Fire Department said, “The Oswego Town Volunteer FD is very appreciative of the hard work by Senator Mannion in getting the SUNY Impact Aid in this year’s budget for our department. We appreciate the time and effort by the Senator and his staff in meeting with us to understand the issues related to Emergency Services and the SUNY Oswego campus. The campus has created a huge draw on services provided by our local volunteer fire department. The monies associated with this aid will help offset some of the various costs of running our fire department under the increased demands created by SUNY Oswego. 

SUNY Impact Aid is a program that provides funding to local municipalities to help offset the costs associated with the operation of SUNY campuses. 

Photo Credit: NYS Senate

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