T IMES
MID
HUDSON
Vol. 29, No 49
3
DECEMBER 6 - 12, 2017
Christmas in
New Windsor
Special section Page 46
SERVING NEWBURGH AND NEW WINDSOR
The City of Newburgh Fire
Department is on track to lose 12 fire-
fighters following the passing of the
city’s draconian 2018 budget, which did
not set aside funding to pay for the
positions.
“It’s a painful, painful, between-
a-rock-and-hard-place situation to be
in,” said city Mayor Judy Kennedy at
a Newburgh City Council meeting last
week. “Here we are with firefighters we
can’t keep. Here we are needing police
officers. We need equipment, we have
a $40-million sewer problem... Every
Beaver
Dam Lake
wells test
with low
levels of
PFOS
Catch and release advisory
remains in effect
Firefighters perform a drill in front of the City of Newburgh fire house on Tuesday.
which way you turn, more money is
needed.”
The positions are funded through the
end of July by a Staffing for Adequate
Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER)
grant from the Federal Emergency
Management Agency. The more than
$2-million grant was awarded to the
city twice in a row and city fire officials
say it is highly unlikely they will see
another.
“To get it one time is a big deal,
and very few departments get it twice,”
said city Assistant Fire Chief Terry
Ahlers. “I don’t believe anyone has ever
received it a third time.”
The fire department averages about
ONE DOLLAR
Shop
Local!
Fire department faces major layoffs
By SHANTAL RILEY
[email protected]
3
125 fire incidents per year, Ahlers said.
The size of the force went up to 68
last year. “We have the manpower we
need and it shows,” Ahlers said. “We’ve
been able to put extra fire fighters in
the street, doing inspections and code
enforcement. Our building permit
numbers are up.”
Code-enforcement officers are finding
illegal night clubs and all manner of
buildings that lack required permits, he
said. “We won’t have the people to do it,”
said Ahlers, speaking of the impending
layoffs. “We’re going to lose ground.
Everything we’ve done to improve the
city, improve safety and cut fire loss is
Continued on page 4
WWW.MIDHUDSONTIMES.COM
By SHANTAL RILEY
[email protected]
Of the more than 200 private wells
sampled in the Beaver Dam Lake area,
none tested with PFOS above the lifetime
health-advisory level set by the federal
Environmental Protections Agency.
The news was presented by New York
State Department of Environmental
Conservation and Department of
Health officials at a public forum held
at Washingtonville Middle School last
month. Speakers provided residents with
an update on recent sampling results from
Continued on page 27