Hughsonville Fire District

1. Hughsonville Fire District History of Past Construction and Expansion of the Hughsonville Fire District Facility

2. Hughsonville Fire District The original firehouse was a two-bay structure--the room now commonly called the “Company Meeting Room”

3. Hughsonville Fire District The expansion in 1969 added a total of four new apparatus bays on the west side of the original structure--

4. Hughsonville Fire District Also added were a mechanical room for utilities and a “Company Room” now the present Commissioners’ Meeting Room...the Board conducted District business in a closet-sized room!

5. Hughsonville Fire District …And jutting out about five feet from the east wall was added a small kitchen--

6. Hughsonville Fire District A stone façade covered the former bays and all roofs were of a flat construction--not practical in this area...

7. Hughsonville Fire District Not many years later, the original—now leaking--flat roofs had to be enclosed under peaked roofs. Cutting corners rarely pays dividends… Because of the type of truss roof construction used, there is little usable attic space under the large expanse of roof.

8. Hughsonville Fire District

9. Hughsonville Fire District The location of the original structure so close to Old Hopewell Road has severely limited most expansion options. Not only is it dangerous moving apparatus on an almost blind curve, it is dangerous when parking the trucks on the apron due to the size of modern fire apparatus. Several trucks are within only a few feet of the edge of the road surface, when parked—at over forty feet, the new Heavy Rescue is even closer when on the apron

10. Hughsonville Fire District In 1988, a two-bay addition was undertaken on the west side of the firehouse...

11. Hughsonville Fire District Unfortunately, however… Due directly to poor planning and general carelessness, the addition proved to be too small for the trucks originally scheduled to be housed there. It includes no bathroom facilities, it has very little storage space and has virtually no safe operating space around the trucks when they’re garaged. Only one small office (left unfinished for over five years after completion) and a small storage closet were included. No thought of future needs went into the planning.

12. Hughsonville Fire District Bursting at the seams…

13. Hughsonville Fire District The “closet” that presently houses the Office of the District Secretary and District Treasurer was actually, prior to the 1969 addition, the Commissioners’ Meeting Room. It’s hardly sufficient for the two District personnel what with the demands of today--as a meeting room, it must have been absurd. The present Board meeting room was never planned as such and included no plan to provide needed work space and sufficient storage facilities--another example of poor planning and foresight.

14. Hughsonville Fire District Critical historical documents and legal District records (that by law must be protected and retained) lack required, secure archival storage space... In the 1980s it was decided that these documents should be jammed into cardboard cartons, added to over the decades and consigned to the only available attic space over the present apparatus bays. Access to these documents is difficult and retrieval of specific records is almost impossible

15. Hughsonville Fire District The mechanical room built in 1969 now houses the facility’s heating, and hot water systems… ...and the electrical service panels and all telephone and computer terminals. Mixing water and electricity is not terribly practical…or safe The water softener system, with no room for it to be properly located in the mechanical room, was installed in the only shower facility in the men’s bathroom about twenty years ago.

16. Hughsonville Fire District Like everything else, the kitchen was “designed” as pretty much an afterthought, rendering it minimally useful, at best. Obsolete almost from the start, it lacked sufficient refrigerator and freezer space; it has no proper food preparation counter space; it has insufficient equipment/utensil storage and has only minimal food storage capacity. The kitchen is expected to be able to handle the influx of evacuees in an emergency—the truth is it can’t and it won’t

17. Hughsonville Fire District The institution of advanced procedures that have enabled Hughsonville to become the acknowledged leader in the region, necessitated the installation of ”open” lockers to properly store Personal Protective Equipment… This required using all the available wall space in the apparatus bays …and resulted in greatly reducing the safe operating area around the trucks.

18. Hughsonville Fire District Lack of foresight and planning, and overall poor design in prior expansion projects has resulted in today’s untenable conditions Since 1969, other than replacing the boiler and an emergency generator--only because they had failed irreparably and not because doing so would improve the facility--there hasn’t been any plan designed and executed to bring our single facility into the 21st century Until now…

19. Hughsonville Fire District Proposed Expansion and Upgrade of the Hughsonville Fire District Firehouse located at 88 Old Hopewell Road ~ Wappingers Falls, NY

20. Hughsonville Fire District Do THEY really need an expansion? Why can’t THEY make do with the present firehouse? Do THEY think we’re made of money?!

21. Hughsonville Fire District Why does Hughsonville need an expansion? The present facility is basically the original facility constructed back in the mid-1940s that has been added on to several times over the decades. A close look at the present facility reveals a number of shortcomings: A. The patchwork configuration and sizes of existing apparatus bays prevents the proper housing of all District firefighting equipment B. The present size of the district facility does not provide the required and necessary space for personal equipment storage and safe operating room around the apparatus C. The proposed construction of eight contiguous modern, properly sized apparatus bays on the east side of the facility will ensure that all district firefighting equipment can be properly secured and protected; barring future federal or State mandates, it should ensure that there should be no reason to undertake any expansion or overall modernization of the facility for several decades

22. Hughsonville Fire District Why does Hughsonville need an expansion? (con’t) D. Any expansion will include recommended/required bathroom/shower facilities for the increased active membership; the facilities would be handicap accessible as required by law and would also serve the community in times of emergency E. Any expansion would provide for much-needed secure storage of District-issued personal protective equipment (PPE); it would also provide sufficient spacing between and around all apparatus to ensure a proper level of safety for personnel operating around the apparatus that does not presently exist F. Much-needed secure equipment storage space will be included in any expansion G. Recommended/required exercise/cardio facilities to maintain physical conditioning will be included in any proposed design

23. Hughsonville Fire District Why does Hughsonville need an expansion? (con’t) H. Because the facility is located on a blind curve in the road, apparatus movement has always contained a heightened level of danger—requiring personnel to stop traffic so apparatus can be backed into the bays places them at increased risk of needless injury or worse—increased, “impatient” traffic makes this virtually unacceptable today I. The present location of the road boundary means that our modern, larger apparatus, when pulled onto the apron, are literally at the edge of the road creating an extremely unsafe condition both for firefighters and the traveling public J. A proposal to move the road surface even farther south will virtually seal off the apron to apparatus—this would create an immediately unacceptable condition K. The proposed facility expansion will move 100% of all apparatus movement off Old Hopewell Road, thereby greatly improving personnel safety

24. Hughsonville Fire District Does such a “small” fire department need so much equipment? First, the short answer is: Most definitely,Yes! Second, Hughsonville is anything but a “small” fire department. According to New York State, Hughsonville is classified as a large fire district. There was a time when Hughsonville may have been thought of as the “poor cousin” to its larger, wealthier neighbors. There was a time when—in addition to low membership—it lacked organization, training and spirit. It was even the butt of jokes on one radio station during the 1980s. But…all of that is “ancient” history now

25. Hughsonville Fire District Does such a “small” fire department need so much equipment? (con’t) A quick review of the number and types of structures within the Hughsonville Fire District along with the absence of a universal hydrant system capable of providing the needed flow rates substantiates the need of the tankers and engines the District maintains. The development of the Route 9 and 9D corridors—the major north/south arteries between New York City and Albany—by itself supports the need for a Heavy Rescue truck capable of responding to all but the most extreme, unthinkable incidents. ******Did you know?...If a single gasoline tanker were to rupture and its load of gasoline evaporate, a spark could then cause an explosion equivalent to350 TONSof dynamite!?****** Metro-North running along the shore of the Hudson River and the requirement that fire districts are responsible for their marine jurisdictions validates both the district-owned Fire/Rescue boat and the maintenance of a certified firematic Dive/Rescue team.

26. Hughsonville Fire District Why do you need to store a Boat inside? A seemingly valid argument might be made that, since a boat is designed for water and inclement conditions, there is really no need to treat it like a fire truck. On the surface, it may sound logical. However, if one considers a number of other factors, it becomes less cut and dried: First, a fire/rescue boat is an expensive piece of firefighting equipment. True, it is a boat but similarities with the family “bow rider” quickly disappear when examining the type and function of equipment installed. Unlike the family runabout that may have occasional performance issues, the fire/rescue boat needs to function at 100% EVERY TIME it’s needed.

27. Hughsonville Fire District Why do you need to store a Boat inside? (con’t) Second, storing a boat outdoors during the winter months requires draining all fluids and winterizing the engine—effectively rendering it unavailable until spring. Should a marine emergency occur when the Hudson River is not frozen—as is the case for the majority of the winter—our boat would not be available, as it must be. Storing the boat in the apparatus bays enables it to remain FULLY OPERATIONAL throughout the entire year.

28. Hughsonville Fire District OK, but why do you need to store a van inside? As with every other piece of District firefighting equipment, the van’s purpose is to provide a means of transporting firefighters and their equipment to incident scenes. It is also used to provide transportation to training classes, drills and other firematic events. The fundamental position of the Board is that every effort must be employed to properly protect and secure this piece of District property just as is done for all other equipment, for all the same reasons.

29. Hughsonville Fire District Let’s get real…why do you need to store a trailer inside? Probably, if “push-came-to-shove” an argument could be made for leaving the Fire/Rescue trailer outside all year. After all, it is only a trailer, right? However, it is a piece of Fire District equipment purchased with taxpayer funds. The Board believes that all such equipment must be properly protected so as to maximize the useful life of the equipment. Therefore, every effort must be made to provide sufficient secure space for housing all District fire and rescue equipment.

30. Hughsonville Fire District Why do we need a shelter in the event of an emergency? We have schools and town halls for that. World events of the past several years have graphically demonstrated that the secure, insulated society we once believed we had is woefully exposed to potential attack and disruption. With that in mind, there is actually a need for more shelters within our community, not fewer. After all, can anyone guarantee a school or our town hall won’t be a target? Or be heavily damaged in a storm? Or be inaccessible to you? Decades ago, the firehouse was designated as a Civil Defense shelter, but there was no follow up effort to provision it as a functional shelter. Over the years, and because no effort at all was made to upgrade its functionality, the firehouse would have been able to provide little more than a roof over the heads of any evacuees. The Master Plan includes provision to upgrade the District facility so as to make it a true shelter capable of providing for the basic needs of protection from the elements, food, water and sanitation for anyone needing it

31. Hughsonville Fire District Why should I vote yes for YOUR expansion when neighboring Fire Districts are getting their expansions turned down? First…let’s stop the divisive “Us vs. Them” mindset— It’s “WE” and “OUR” The Board of Fire Commissioners is fully aware of the fact that two neighboring fire districts were rejected in their efforts to get approval for expansion projects. One failed in its initial bid primarily because it was seeking to construct an entirely new facility. Although it did schedule informational meetings, they were poorly attended and the district did nothing further to fully inform the electorate or to elicit reaction and suggestions from their constituents. Another failed twice because it proposed only one option with no organized effort to explain to their constituents exactly why the single, “Take it or leave it,” proposal was the best option. The initial rejection reportedly revealed that the proposal contained far more than might be reasonably expected in an expansion.

32. Hughsonville Fire District Why should I vote yes for your expansion… (con’t) Also, the fact that there were two stations in the equation (Hughsonville has only the single facility) raised unanswered questions why an expansion was needed; there apparently was no demonstration that both facilities had been utilized to their maximum We believe the major—critical—difference between Hughsonville’s approach to a proposed expansion/upgrade and that used by other districts is simply that Hughsonville has approached this joint effort trying to be as open and forthcoming with our constituents as possible We are taking the “unusual” steps (unusual in terms of the practice of past Boards who acted with total autonomy and with little-or-no community input) of developing materials for distribution to district taxpayers in an effort to provide them with as much information as we can so they can understand the justification and need for the proposed project We believe that, by being open and honest, the chances of all elements in our fire district acting in concert are greatly increased, with everyone coming out a “winner” in the end

33. Hughsonville Fire District This expansion will make your Fire Department the biggest structure in the hamlet of Hughsonville. I do not want an eyesore next to my house. Yes, “OUR” fire department will have the largest structure in the beautiful hamlet of Hughsonville, but that in no way implies that it will be an “eyesore” A provision stipulated to our architect is that the aesthetic appearance of the entire exterior of the structure needs to be made more uniform so as to fit in with the “hamlet” feel of our community and to better identify it as a fire house The placement of the original structure so close to Old Hopewell Road dictates where any future expansion might be located—this was determined about sixty years ago As already pointed out, the ideal proposal would be for an entirely new facility located far from the roadway which would dramatically minimize its visibility from the road; however, this has been rejected for reasons already explained

34. Hughsonville Fire District Do you have enough members to support such a big building? Part of the need driving the proposed expansion is the continuing increase in active membership. Overall, the department is showing a continued positive growth. On average, the department continues to grow by an average of two new members every month. While other departments may be experiencing problems with membership numbers, Hughsonville continues to grow. This necessitates the issuance of Personal Protective Equipment and related equipment, all of which requires readily accessible secure storage space. There is no more space available for this storage.

35. Hughsonville Fire District Do you have enough members to support such a big building? (con’t) Our insurance underwriters also strongly recommend and support having facilities in house to enable members to maintain a high level of physical/cardio fitness. It not only helps lower the possibility of injury or sudden death of our members, but it also helps ensure their ability to function at their physical best at emergencies which benefits the community 100%.

36. Hughsonville Fire District What will you do in the future to keep us from getting more tax increases from you? The reality is simply that no municipal body can honestly make a promise of “no more tax increases”. We have all heard such promises and they have always, and invariably, been followed by an “unfortunate” need to raise taxes in order to fund items that were “ignored” as part of an earlier “tax saving” action. This is exactly the situation that was uncovered in Hughsonville several years ago when it was determined that past Boards of Fire Commissioners had opted to maintain a “zero increase” policy so as to avoid tax increases for years with no thought for its future impact Unfortunately, “zero tax increase” translates to zero growth, zero improvement, and zero increase in protection for many years. While society was advancing, Hughsonville was actually slipping farther behind, year after year. As a result, Hughsonville suffered a dramatic drop off in membership, and a decline in equipment maintenance and modernization and overall capability.

37. Hughsonville Fire District What will you do in the future to keep us from getting more tax increases from you? (con’t) Ignored for a long time were federal and State recommended and mandated upgrades and practices which, although not accompanied by federal or State funding, are vital to maintaining the safety and security of our community. We all need to understand that there are going to be instances where an increase in taxes is unavoidable and, while the Board cannot honestly promise no future tax increases, you can be assured that everything that can be done to minimize the tax burden on our community is being done.

38. Hughsonville Fire District Are there other options besides this plan? Other ideas, configurations or “plans” were considered by the Board, but it’s believed that Board-approved plan provides for the best, most comprehensive solution to be completed professionally, uniformly and responsibly One such plan encompassed a proposal to construct a new fire house on the southwestern corner of the property and then to demolish the present structure While such a concept would result in a 100% modern facility with all the needed upgrades achieved in a single structure, the Commissioners felt that this would place too much of a financial burden on the district’s residents and might hinder the acquisition of future equipment that will be needed in the future Another proposal provided for only the construction of garage space to park equipment presently unprotected and nothing more. In rejecting this proposal, the Board had to take into consideration the numerous items and features that have been determined as needing to be addressed regardless of what type of expansion project is undertaken.

39. Hughsonville Fire District Are there other options besides this plan? (con’t) Even if no major expansion were to be considered at this time, the Board is at a point where a long list of essential, major repairs, improvements and upgrades and “stopgap additions” would have to be initiated—there is no way to put it off any longer Approaching these required actions in a piecemeal way would result in an overall expense considerably greater than what may be expected if everything were included in an overall expansion/improvement project. It would also compound the haphazard configuration that already exists and needs to be corrected. By undertaking a facility expansion and upgrade as a single project, all the needed improvements/upgrades will be available simultaneously and will result in a lower overall cost than if everything were to be contracted-out separately over a far longer, protracted time

40. Hughsonville Fire District Could you cut down on other internal costs that may improve our fire tax? In the 2007 Information Brochure distributed by the Board of Fire Commissioners, you may recall that this exact question was posed by the Commissioners during the budget process. The treasurer was immediately tasked with determining how large a cut would be required to lower the tax levy by five cents per thousand assessed valuation. The number was staggering: $10,000 of essential services would have to be slashed to reduce individual tax bills by five cents—one nickel—per thousand of assessed value. Hypothetically, for a residence assessed at $100,000, the savings realized would be an astounding…$5.00 for the year. The Board realized that the five dollars a taxpayer might “save” was completely negated by the unrecoverable lost protection that would result. It was a “Catch-22” and the Board opted to continue providing the level of protection already in existence rather than play politics.

41. Hughsonville Fire District You only cover 9 square miles--why do you need so much fire equipment? Call some of your neighbors for help. First, the physical size of a fire district is not the determiner of the types and numbers of firefighting/rescue equipment needed to properly protect everyone and everything within the district’s jurisdiction Construction types, number and use, permanent and transiting population, and unique types and numbers of critical infrastructure are among the principal factors considered in determining equipment needed Second, Mutual Aid—calling our neighbors for help—is a county-wide agreement to which Hughsonville is a signatory. It provides for the availability of additional equipment and manpower in the event that an incident exceeds the ability of the responding department to manage. It is NOT grounds for abdicating the jurisdictional responsibilities by any fire district or department

42. Hughsonville Fire District You only cover 9 square miles… (con’t) Past Hughsonville Boards of Fire Commissioners actually attempted to use Mutual Aid to fill deficiencies resulting from the “zero tax-zero growth” practices. Results were less than favorable!

43. Hughsonville Fire District If I OK this expansion can I use your banquet hall free of charge if I have an event or can I use your out door property for parties and ballgames? Although the firehouse and grounds are supported by public funds they, like any other municipal complex (e.g. Town Hall or the Emergency Services Building) are not available to the general public for private functions. On the rare occasion when an outside organization has requested permission to use the ball field, for example, on an emergency basis, it is still necessary for that organization to provide proof of insurance before the request can be considered. Such requests are considered on a case by case basis and are not an ongoing “contract”. Only if and when all legal and insurance issues can be resolved satisfactorily, can the Board entertain the feasibility of providing the improved facilities to district residents for limited events

44. Hughsonville Fire District Why can’t the fire district/department make do with what it already has? • The department has been growing in numbers, equipment, capability and needs since the late 1990s and has experienced a major jump in members and equipment within the past five years • Between the early 1970s and the late 1990s, the district was not aggressively proactive in addressing both current and future needs for the protection of the community • Future planning was literally non-existent • The department was restricted by past Boards from accessing then-current technology and training because sufficient funding was unavailable due to lack of financial planning • As a result of “making do,” department skill level fell to dangerous levels • Morale and service deteriorated

45. Hughsonville Fire District Why can’t the fire district/department make do… (con’t) • Response capability diminished to some of the lowest levels experienced in Hughsonville’s history • Mutual aid was an almost automatic necessity • Our community was placed at extreme risk without being aware of it • A very big bullet was dodged • The district needs space to meet other physical, performance and psychological needs of the membership • Hughsonville has been making do with the present poorly-configured facility for too long. The need for an updated and upgraded facility has been known for a long time, but nothing was done to address the anticipated future needs and that was an unfortunate action. “Making do” is no longer an option

46. Hughsonville Fire District We can’t afford the constantly increasing fire tax! It’s outrageous! Priority (n.): 1.greatest importance, the state of having most importance or urgency; 2. somebody or something important, somebody or something that is ranked highly in terms of importance or urgency Too many people don’t think of fire and life protection as a critical priority. Like life insurance, it’s considered an expense that doesn’t seem to return any real value—that is, until it’s needed. Consider some of the “necessities” American households recently gave greatest priority to: • Cable television, computers, Internet service providers, high speed internet access, cell phones, tobacco, alcohol, dining out, “fast food,” electronics, and movie/video rentals ranked among the top priority “necessities” • The average household with cable television paid approximately $900 per year for an “enhanced” package—premium channels and services can raise the cost to well above $1,200 per year

47. Hughsonville Fire District We can’t afford the constantly increasing fire tax! (con’t) • Many households now have more than one computer—and most are connected to the Internet • Charges for Internet Service Providers can run $250 to $500 per year • The “need” to surf the Internet at gigabyte speed, do online shopping and have the ability to transmit galaxy-gobbling photo files may carry an additional cost of $300-$500 dollars a year • Depending on the number of “buttons, bells and whistles” included in a cell phone package, the convenience of being able to be reached almost everywhere at every moment can run as high as $700 every year • At over $.20 per cigarette, a moderate smoker is burning up at least $200 a month—wellover $2,000 per year—and for many, this is a “priority.” These “priorities” easily devour about $4,000 per year—about $11.00 per day! from average American households. Many pay far more than that per year.

48. Hughsonville Fire District We can’t afford the constantly increasing fire tax! (con’t) • At today’s rate, residents in the Hughsonville Fire District are averaging about 65 cents a day for fire/life protection! …and for only 65 cents a day more (based on a home fully assessed at $400,000) you can ensure your protection—and that of your loved ones—well into this century …and you thought your life was worth a heck of a lot more than that, didn’t you? Well, it is… …and Hughsonville knows it! For us, the greatest priority is the one that keeps you and your loved ones safe and secure every day of every year.

49. Hughsonville Fire District Wouldn’t a paid fire department be the better way to go? The short answer is…No! This is especially true if a major concern is to control costs relative to the overall level of protection provided Generally speaking, the cost of providing for a paid fire department could be expected to be in the range of $800,000-$900,000 a year, if not higher …And this would be in addition to the annual cost of apparatus upkeep and purchase, equipment purchase and replacement, operating costs, insurance, etc. It should be expected that the current district operating budget would easily have to be almost tripled to afford a paid department • Districts that have gone to paid firefighters have usually done so because they have severe difficulty responding equipment and manpower during the day, usually due to low membership numbers—this is not a problem in Hughsonville

50. Hughsonville Fire District Wouldn’t a paid fire department… (con’t) • Membership continues to grow almost monthly Hughsonville’s 100% volunteer department responds with an average of 12-14 firefighters per alarm • Average response time is under six minutes from time of alarm to the arrival on the scene—about 40% faster than the national average • Firefighter salary cost to residents is presently—$0.00 • Hughsonville requests mutual aid in less than 10% of its total annual calls—mostly for ambulance assistance