From The Office of Senator Murphy:

When a fire breaks out in Northern Westchester County, the call to respond is most often answered by volunteer fire departments. Senator Terrence Murphy has answered the call for one of these departments - securing a $250,000 state grant for the Golden's Bridge Fire District to help rebuild the Golden's Bridge Firehouse, which was damaged by a fire in 2014. Senator Murphy, a longtime supporter of local fire departments, said the grant was used for a fire suppression sprinkler system, concrete driveway pad, septic system, and other related construction work.

"The Golden's Bridge Firehouse is absolutely critical to the safety, health and well-being of the fire district's more than 4,000 residents and dozens of retail business and institutions, as well as the tens of thousands of daily commuters using the I684 corridor and MetroNorth Railroad. This grant went a long way toward lifting some of the financial burden from the fire district in their very costly firehouse reconstruction project," said Senator Murphy.

"It takes a special type of person to run into a burning house, administer CPR in a medical emergency, and respond to a horrific vehicle accident. Responding to these emergencies as a volunteer firefighter is selfless and courageous - and this is the least we can do for these brave and dedicated volunteers of the Golden's Bridge Fire Department," said Senator Murphy, noting that the National Fire Protection Association estimates that volunteer firefighters make up nearly 70% of all men and women willing to take on the important responsibility of serving their community.

"Members of the Golden's Bridge Fire Department, like all firefighters, risk their lives and sacrifice their personal time responding around the clock to emergencies and participating in training drills. They leave their families to help others during storms, and respond to calls in the middle of the night. That's real commitment to community and service," Murphy added.

Edward Brancati, the fire district's Chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners, expressed gratitude on behalf of residents and businesses, saying, "We are fortunate that Senator Murphy understands the economic realities of rebuilding a community firehouse. This $250,000 grant helps us attain a fully functional firehouse that achieves and exceeds code and regulations to meet the emergency needs of our community. This grant has been welcome assistance to meeting costs, some of them unforeseen, of the rebuild project. As a fire district, we are always diligent and mindful of saving taxpayer dollars, an objective this grant enables us to fulfill."

James McManus, Fire Chief of the Golden's Bridge Fire Department, said, "Senator Murphy's recognition of the importance of local fire departments is evident in his determined efforts to secure this $250,000 grant for our firehouse rebuild project. This grant means a lot to our department because it shows that people, especially elected officials like Senator Murphy, have a high regard for our commitment and service as volunteers."

Established in 1909, the Golden's Bridge Fire Department is usually first on the scene to 911 emergency calls in its eight square miles of service territory, which include the Town of Lewisboro hamlet of Goldens Bridge and portions of the Towns of North Salem and Somers. It is one of three volunteer fire departments in Lewisboro. In addition to more than 4,000 residents, the Golden's Bridge Fire Department serves several institutions, including Increase Miller Elementary School and St. Joseph Catholic Church, a retail shopping center, office buildings, a sprawling automobile dealership and lumberyard, a reservoir, the MetroNorth Golden's Bridge station, and a stretch of I684. The 70-member department participates in more than 60 training drills throughout the year and responds to an average of nearly 300 emergency 911 calls annually that include structure, brush and vehicle fires, medical emergencies, vehicular accidents, carbon monoxide alarms, downed power lines, and other storm-related emergencies, and ice and water rescues.

Its commitment to the community goes beyond emergency response, as the Golden's Bridge Fire Department provides fire safety awareness and education outreach at annual events at the firehouse, local elementary school and shopping center during National Fire Prevention Week. It hosts an annual holiday children's party that has become a popular community tradition, and participates in charitable efforts including Toys for Tots and the Volunteer Firemen's Home of the State of New York in upstate Hudson. It sponsors Boy Scout Troop #154 and Cub Scout Pack #154, as well as two scholarship programs - the Henry T. Martin Academic Scholarship, awarded to a graduating high school senior who lives in the fire district, and the P.R. Daur Community Service Scholarship, awarded to a department member, child or other relative for continuing education. In addition, the department conducts fire and water safety presentations at local summer camps and works with the town's senior citizen club to ensure that elderly residents are safe, especially during storms.