Harckham Visits Valhalla Fire Dept. to See New Utility Task Vehicle Purchased with State Grant Funding

Valhalla, NY – New York State Sen. Pete Harckham visited the Valhalla Fire Department recently with the intention of seeing the new utility task vehicle (UTV) the department had purchased, thanks to state grant funding he had secured. Not only did he inspect the rig, department officials invited him to take it for a test drive. “It is important for our local fire departments to have emergency vehicles with off-road capacity to fight fires and undertake rescues in deep brush or wooded areas,” said Harckham. “I am pleased to have helped the Valhalla Fire Department acquire this new all-terrain vehicle with state funding that alleviates some of the tax burden on residents.”

Added Harckham, “It’s a powerful vehicle that can do a lot and will be a real asset to the Valhalla community.”

The Valhalla Fire Department received its mew Polaris Ranger XP 1000 UTV, with its all-weather firefighting and rescue package, last month. The vehicle, which is nicknamed a “Gator,” has seating for six people. It is equipped with a top-mounted pump for firefighting operations, a 4,500 lb. electric winch, three different lighting arrays, front hood storage rack, recuse stretcher, booster reel, various hand tools, siren and PA system. The department has put the vehicle into operation as Mini Attack 1.

The hamlet of Valhalla is about a square-mile in size (0.83) yet home to four major institutions—Westchester Community College, New York Medical College, Westchester County Department of Correction and Westchester Medical Center. The all-volunteer Valhalla Fire Department, comprised of 70 members, answered 386 calls in its service area in 2022.

Anthony J. Ciancio, chair of the board of fire commissioner for the Valhalla Fire District, said, “This new vehicle, which was on our wish list for a while, will help the fire department fight brush fires and respond to emergencies in remote areas that are difficult for our other vehicles and equipment to get to. We are grateful to Senator Harckham for coming through with the funding because of what this UTV can do—it will help us a great deal.”

The awarded grant funding was secured within the State and Municipal Facilities Program (SAM), which is among the grant programs administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) to support community and economic development. Harckham delivered more than $5,000,000 of state grant funding to municipalities and nonprofits in SD40 last year.