Rabbitt Delivers Grant To Help Paramedics Improve Local Safety

Assemblywoman helps Rockland paramedics obtain grant for carbon monoxide testing

March 1, 2011

As an advocate for the safety of first responders and community members, Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt (R,I,C-Greenwood Lake) has helped Rockland Paramedic Services, Inc., receive a $40,000 grant to help protect residents from carbon monoxide poisoning.

“It is my great honor and privilege to help out a life-saving local organization,” said Rabbitt. “First responders arrive within minutes of an emergency call and have to quickly assess a scene for their safety and for the safety of the community. These carbon monoxide monitors will allow them to increase the safety of all involved and ultimately save lives.”

The $40,000 award is furnished through the Federal Emergency Management Authority’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. This grant will help local first responders buy as many as 10 portable carbon monoxide monitors, which first responders can use in the field to diagnose carbon monoxide poisoning at emergency scenes. The monitors also can be used in the diagnosis of other cardiac issues and medical complications.

As the mother of a New York City Police Officer, Assemblywoman Rabbitt has been an avid supporter of increasing safety and benefits for volunteer first responders. She is a multi-sponsor of Assembly Bill 5294, also known as the “Volunteer Firefighter and Ambulance Worker Protection and Incentive Act of 2011.” This bill would provide an incentive-and-protection program for volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers and is currently before the Assembly Ways and Means Committee for their review.

Last year, the assemblywoman helped pass legislation to give local first responders an income tax credit, property tax exemption, participation in municipal health insurance, and other benefits. Additionally, she was honored last year by the New York State Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Association for her own rescue of capsized boaters on Greenwood Lake.

Assemblywoman Rabbitt encourages other local emergency responders to visit FEMA’s comprehensive website, www.firegrantsupport.com, to learn more about their Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program and encourages eligible organizations to apply for the next round of grants. Three types of grants are available: Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG), Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER), and Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FP&S).

For more information about the assemblywoman’s legislation, to share your suggestions for other legislation to support our local emergency responders or for information on becoming a volunteer responder, please contact Assemblywoman Rabbitt by e-mailing her at rabbitta@assembly.state.ny.us or find her on Facebook.

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