Rensselaer County gets funding for new emergency response pagers

DEFREESTVILLE >> All first responders in Rensselaer County will soon be using new emergency response pagers after state Sen. Kathy Marchione, R-Halfmoon, was able to secure state funding for needed upgrades.

Marchione announced at a Wednesday morning news conference at the new Defreestville fire station that she was able to secure $750,000, with every county fire company and ambulance service to receive the new pagers. In all, the funding will pay for 1,940 new Motorola Minitor VI Pagers.

The request for these new pagers came back in the fall of 2015, when the Speigletown Fire Company and Town of Schodack Chiefs Association asked for Marchione’s assistance.

“When the Speigletown Fire Company and the Town of Schodack Chiefs Association visited my office last year and explained how funding for these emergency response pagers would help Rensselaer County first responders and ultimately save lives, I knew there was a genuine need to secure this assistance so every fire department and ambulance service in Rensselaer County would have these new pagers, which are important tools that will help enhance the safety of Rensselaer County families,” said Marchione.

Speigletown Fire Chief William Maloney was happy Marchione cared enough to listen and help secure the needed funds.

“Sen. Kathy Marchione was incredibly responsive to our request for state funding to support the purchase of these pagers that will ultimately help save lives and improve the safety of Rensselaer County families,” said Maloney. “On behalf of the Speigletown Fire District, I want to personally and sincerely thank Sen. Marchione for her dedication, commitment and for keeping her promise to deliver this valuable funding for the purchase of these new pagers for firefighters and all our Rensselaer County first responders.”

Officials said the Motorola pagers will help to improve response times, facilitate coordination, improve communication and assist first responders in saving lives.

“In responding to an emergency situation, every second counts and can literally mean the difference between life and death,” said Marchione.

Purchasing the pagers will be the final step in replacing the majority of the county’s emergency communications system, including radios, home alerting and dispatch center equipment, as well as enhancing signal coverage through additional towers.

“This $750,000 funding secured by Sen. Marchione for the pagers ensure that the county’s over $20 million investment in emergency communications projects will have no cost impact on the first responder agencies,” said Rensselaer County Executive Kathleen Jimino.

David Quinn, chief administrative officer for the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York, who also attended the news conference, agreed that the funding for the pagers and the county’s commitment to upgrade first response emergency communications system is a benefit for all of its first responders.

“These joint efforts, along with Rensselaer County’s commitment to emergency communications infrastructure upgrades, will provide the necessary components to not only take financial burden off local fire districts and localities, but aid in the continuance of providing critical emergency services to residents in their time of need,” said Quinn.

Nicholas Buonanno can be reached at 290-3941.