Hughsonville Fire District

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Hughsonville Fire District
History of Past Construction and Expansion of the
Hughsonville Fire District Facility
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Hughsonville Fire District
The original firehouse was a two-bay
structure--the room now commonly called the
Company Meeting Room
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Hughsonville Fire District
The expansion in 1969 added a total of four new
apparatus bays on the west side of the original
structure--
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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!
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Hughsonville Fire District
And jutting out about five feet from the east
wall was added a small kitchen--
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Hughsonville Fire District
A stone façade covered the former bays and all
roofs were of a flat construction--not practical
in this area...
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Hughsonville Fire District
Not many years later, the originalnow
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.
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Hughsonville Fire District
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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 parkedat over
forty feet, the new Heavy Rescue is even closer
when on the apron
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Hughsonville Fire District
In 1988, a two-bay addition was undertaken on the
west side of the firehouse...
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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 theyre
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.
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Hughsonville Fire District
Bursting at the seams
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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.
Its 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.
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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
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Hughsonville Fire District
The mechanical room built in 1969 now houses the
facilitys heating, and hot water systems
...and the electrical service panels and all
telephone and computer terminals.
Mixing water and electricity is not terribly
practicalor 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
mens bathroom about twenty years ago.
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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 emergencythe truth is
it cant and it wont
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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.
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Hughsonville Fire District
Lack of foresight and planning, and overall poor
design in prior expansion projects has resulted
in todays 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 hasnt been any plan
designed and executed to bring our single
facility into the 21st century
Until now
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Hughsonville Fire District
Proposed Expansion and Upgrade of the
Hughsonville Fire District Firehouse located at
88 Old Hopewell Road Wappingers Falls, NY
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Hughsonville Fire District
Do THEY really need an expansion?
Why cant THEY make do with the present firehouse?
Do THEY think were made of money?!
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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
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Hughsonville Fire District
Why does Hughsonville need an
expansion? (cont)
D. Any expansion will include recommended/require
d 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
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Hughsonville Fire District
Why does Hughsonville need an expansion? (cont)
H. Because the facility is located on a blind
curve in the road, apparatus movement has always
contained a heightened level of dangerrequiring
personnel to stop traffic so apparatus can be
backed into the bays places them at increased
risk of needless injury or worseincreased,
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 apparatusthis 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
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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 whenin addition to low
membershipit lacked organization, training and
spirit.
It was even the butt of jokes on one radio
station during the 1980s.
Butall of that is ancient history now
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Hughsonville Fire District
Does such a small fire department need so much
equipment? (cont)
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
corridorsthe major north/south arteries between
New York City and Albanyby 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 to 350 TONS of 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.
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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 its needed.
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Hughsonville Fire District
Why do you need to store a Boat inside? (cont)
Second, storing a boat outdoors during the winter
months requires draining all fluids and
winterizing the engineeffectively rendering it
unavailable until spring. Should a marine
emergency occur when the Hudson River is not
frozenas is the case for the majority of the
winterour 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.
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Hughsonville Fire District
OK, but why do you need to store a van inside?
As with every other piece of District
firefighting equipment, the vans 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.
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Hughsonville Fire District
Lets get realwhy 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.
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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 wont 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
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Hughsonville Fire District
Why should I vote yes for YOUR expansion when
neighboring Fire Districts are getting their
expansions turned down?
Firstlets stop the divisive Us vs. Them
mindset Its 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.
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Hughsonville Fire District
Why should I vote yes for your expansion (cont)
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 majorcriticaldifference between
Hughsonvilles 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
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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 locatedthis 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
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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.
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Hughsonville Fire District
Do you have enough members to support such a big
building? (cont)
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.
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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.
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Hughsonville Fire District
What will you do in the future to keep us from
getting more tax increases from you? (cont)
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.
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Hughsonville Fire District
Are there other options besides this plan?
Other ideas, configurations or plans were
considered by the Board, but its 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 districts 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.
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Hughsonville Fire District
Are there other options besides this plan?
(cont)
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 initiatedthere 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
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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 centsone nickelper
thousand of assessed value. Hypothetically, for
a residence assessed at 100,000, the savings
realized would be an astounding5.00 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.
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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
districts 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 Aidcalling our neighbors for
helpis 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
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Hughsonville Fire District
You only cover 9 square miles (cont)
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!
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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
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Hughsonville Fire District
Why cant 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
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Hughsonville Fire District
Why cant the fire district/department make do
(cont)
Response capability diminished to some of the
lowest levels experienced in Hughsonvilles
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
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Hughsonville Fire District
We cant afford the constantly increasing fire
tax! Its 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 dont think of fire and life
protection as a critical priority. Like life
insurance, its considered an expense that
doesnt seem to return any real valuethat is,
until its 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
packagepremium channels and services can raise
the cost to well above 1,200 per year
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Hughsonville Fire District
We cant afford the constantly increasing fire
tax! (cont)
Many households now have more than one
computerand 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 monthwell over 2,000
per year and for many, this is a priority.
These priorities easily devour about 4,000 per
yearabout 11.00 per day! from average American
households. Many pay far more than that per year.
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Hughsonville Fire District
We cant afford the constantly increasing fire
tax! (cont)
At todays 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 protectionand that of your loved oneswell
into this century
and you thought your life was worth a heck of a
lot more than that, didnt 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
Wouldnt a paid fire department be the better way
to go?
The short answer isNo!
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
numbersthis is not a problem in Hughsonville
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Hughsonville Fire District
Wouldnt a paid fire department (cont)
Membership continues to grow almost monthly
Hughsonvilles 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 sceneabout
40 faster than the national average
Firefighter salary cost to residents is
presently0.00
Hughsonville requests mutual aid in less than 10
of its total annual callsmostly for ambulance
assistance
51
Hughsonville Fire District
There is no smoke and mirrors being used here
There has been no attempt to mislead you with
half truths
There is absolutely no need to exaggerate the
magnitude of the need to expand, renovate and
upgrade our only district facility
The future security of you and your loved ones is
in your hands
Literally
Please help us to continue providing the best
fire and life protection you have come to expect
Vote YES for the Facility Expansion