Perth Volunteer Fire Company

1500 Gallon Tender (Tanker) perfect for rural VFDs! Pump & Roll! Cat diesel auto transmissino... 6" rear dump Asking $14,900 More Photos: http://www.firetec.com/detail/PE-12917.html The Fire Truck Ladies will be happy to assist you with # TEXT: 802-431-6033 email: [email protected] Toll Free: 800-FIRETEC (347-3832)

Tonight the Perth Volunteer Fire Company took delivery of their new Fort Garry Fire Trucks custom engine. Sales team members from Vander Molen Fire were on hand... to provide some initial training and will continue to work with the department over the next few weeks to assist in training all of their operators. #welcomehome #vandermolenfire

DID YOU KNOW? In NYS when you see a vehicle approaching with a BLUE or GREEN Flashing Light in your rear-view mirror it is a VOLUNTEER Firefighter or EMT respon...ding to either a Fire or Ambulance Call. These personnel need to get to the firehouse/EMS station or to the scene as quickly as possible to render the service needed in a timely fashion. PLEASE BE COURTEOUS and when safe to do so, PULL OVER, STOP and LET THEM PASS. Someone is depending on their help and sometimes seconds really do count. Thank you!! See more

Perth Volunteer Fire Company’s new Fort Garry Fire Trucks is getting prepped for an undercoating of Waxoyl.

Listen up little ones

A Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls, 12 Days of COVID Medley. Happy Holidays B-P!

FIRE/SMOKE CONDITION Friday, October 30, 2020 (12:36 am): FIRE/SMOKE CONDITION - The Broadalbin-Kennyetto Fire Company received a call for a residence filled wi...th smoke on West Main Street in the village. Units responded. Upon arrival smoke was visible on the first floor of the commercial/residential structure. The Incident Commander called for Mutual Aid from the Perth Volunteer Fire Company and Mayfield Fire Department. Both companies sent apparatus and manpower. The Fulton County Sheriff's Department and Fulton County Fire Coordinator were also on the scene.

On Tuesday October 27th we had the privilege of teaching Fire Prevention to the wonderful Pre-K and Kindergarten classes at BP Elementary School, they also got to see a couple pieces of our apparatus. CDC guidelines were followed.

To all of the men and women who dedicate their lives to keeping us safe, thank you for all you do.

PVFC Auxiliary Election Day BBQ!

This morning at 2:51 am. Weighing 7lbs 1oz little Miss Addison Grace Watrobski made her appearance. Congratulations to Auxiliary member Megan Boucher, FF Cody Watrobski, Chief Peter Watrobski and past Auxiliary President Elaine Gasner.

Taxpayers Are Facing A Major Fire Tax Hike In 2021 As The Valley Falls Fire Department Closes Their Doors After 103 Years of Service to The Community Valley Fal...ls, NY In todays day and age, residents in volunteer fire departments are facing hard challenges more than ever. In northern Rensselaer County, The Valley Falls Fire Department will be closing its doors after serving the community for 103 years. The Valley Falls Fire Department Opened their doors in 1917 and had the first motorized piece of apparatus in Rensselaer County. The Village of Valley Falls board of trustees with the Mayor held a public meeting on October 8, 2020 at the village hall to let the public know that they are closing the Valley Falls Fire Department and explained the repercussions that could occur from this and they will no longer have a fire department to protect them as of January 1st 2021 by the Village Volunteer fire department. Leading up to this meeting came a large amount of long nights away from the family, lack of membership, and issues with the Village Trustees to get the needed equipment and repairs for the fire house that caused the chief of the department to step down as of December 31st 2020. Chief Lipinski has been with the department for over fourteen years now and took over as chief in 2018 after the previous chief of the department retired to have more time with his family. "As of December 31 2020, I will be stepping down and moving out of the district to put my family first" Chief Lipinski stated. Chief Lipinski has been in a major up hill battle for years to get more funding to increase the department’s tiny budget, get new members to join and get some of the major repairs done to the fire house that is in abhorrent shape. The small department needs major repairs to the electric system, roof, the back wall that is collapsing in the rear of the apparatus bay, replacement of the flooring in the members room/fire gear locker area that was installed over 25 years ago that is filled with extremely dangerous toxic carcinogens and many other major repairs need to be completed. The fire chief of the department also needs to replace out well aged vital life safety equipment over the next two years that he has been warning the Village trustees about for two years now. Some of those items include new air packs, turnout gear, and a tanker. Earlier in the year, the department received fifteen used air packs, thirty bottles and fifteen masks from a department in Albany County that had a few years of service life left on them to replace out the out dated and overdue air packs the department currently were using. The estimated value of the donation was worth close to $200,000. The department now facing having to replace all of the air packs in the coming years, a new engine tanker to replace out the one they have and turnout gear is facing over a million dollars in needed equipment to stay afloat. The chief also states that none of the current members are qualified or will to take on the massive legal liability of being chief of the department. The chief states he is down to five active members to handle fire and ems calls for the department. The chief states he is receiving mutual aid from nearby departments to help out handle their current call volume. The chief states he has done multiple recruitment drives to attempt to get members, but when they find out the requirements to become an interior firefighter or seen the abhorrent shape of the department they would walk away. The chief stated multiple people that came to his fire house went to other stations near by that had newer equipment, newer fire houses, and better incentives to being a member of the department. The Valley Falls Fire Department for years now has done fundraising to be able to pay for all of the supplies needed to keep their first responder emergency medical service program running, but that program is very expensive and very time consuming on the very few active members the department has. The Valley Falls Fire Department also heavily relies on the fire protection contract of the Town of Tomhannock in the Town of Pittstown, which supplies fifty five percent of the department’s budget to pay for the $27,000 in insurance and operation cost of the department per year. The village and fire department this year did not bid the contract due to the closing of the department and they could not supply the proper protection to the residents of that district. Most people today do not look in to the true cost of fire protection and the protection of their family and love ones today due to the cost of fire services are hidden in their escrow payments. Now the residence in the Valley Falls area will be looking in to this a lot harder in the coming two months. The taxpayers in the village of Valley Falls will not go with out fire protection as the village trustees explained to the public that showed up to the village meeting. The trustees explained the fire services will just be coming from another fire department nearby that wins the contract to protect the residents of the Village of Valley Falls. The Village board of Trustees plans to put a fire protection contract out to the multiple fire departments in the area to bid on around November to have fire protection in place come January 1st 2021. With this type of protection contract will come a tax raise on the residents in the village, as departments in the surrounding area have higher fire protection cost compared to the departments small tax rate of $1.97 per thousand. All but one fire department surrounding the small village has higher fire tax rates then the Valley Falls Fire Department. One of the neighboring departments current tax rate on their residents is $3.70 per thousand which is 91% higher than the current fire tax rate residents are being charge now. Current New York State law does not allow a surrounding protection district from charging less then they do their own current residents in their own protection district, but can charge more to cover the new cost of the added responsibility. The departments in the area Melrose, Pittstown, Johnsonville, Hoosic Valley, Schaghticoke and The Raymertown Fire Department will all have the ability to bid on the village of Valley Falls Protection Contract in November. Departments bidding on this contract will be picking up the responsibility of more homes to protect, added call volume, more wear and tear on the department’s equipment, legal liability, and new insurance cost to the department for the added protection of these new residents. As stated in the meeting the village residences will face a tax hike come January 1st 2021. Looking in to the numbers, it could be as small as 34% or up to 92% depending on who bids on the contract and wins. We reached out to the Rensselaer County Bureau of Public Safety director via email with no response. We reached out to Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin's office and received an email back stating "We have not received any notice regarding the closure of the Valley Falls fire department. We would encourage representatives of the department to reach out to us to discuss". The Second question we asked was, does the county have a plan to implement fire protection of the residence of the Village of Valley Falls if negotiations falls through before the December 31st Deadline? The representative stated "Responsibility for fire service is as outline in state municipal law, and also subject to contracts or agreements entered into between the town or village and a fire company or protective district, or the establishment of a district by a company by consent of district residents." and the last question we asked was, with numerous Fire Departments facing volunteer shortages across the county what type of measures do you think could be put in place as an incentive program to help retain and attract volunteer firefighters for Rensselaer County? Have any of these measures been implemented? The representative stated There have been many recruitment drives conducted by the state and county to increase participation. "We have also asked for training to be streamlined somewhat to help attract new members." With more volunteer firefighters working their full time and part time jobs to be able to pay the bills to support their families in one of the heaviest taxed states in the country comes other problems in the volunteer fire service. The large amounts of training now required has scared off today’s youth, individuals in their twenties and thirties, and individuals that have young families due to the New York State Fire training requirements to become a volunteer firefighter. To become an interior firefighter after joining the department is about a six-month process that requires the firefighter to go to class three to four nights a week until the late hours of the evening or in some cases full eight-hour days on the weekends. Most people today do not have the time or interest to volunteer as a firefighter or EMT with their busy lives as there is very little incentives in the ways of tax breaks on property taxes, retirement programs, discounts on insurance, or free education at local public colleges. Over 95% of Rensselaer Counties Fire and EMS services are staffed by volunteer firefighters and EMT’s that are willing to give their time away from their families, friends, and personal life to protect people they may have never met a day in their life, but soon we will run out of these amazing people and we will see more closures like Valley Falls in Rensselaer County.

Cooking is the main cause of home fires and fire injuries. Take these steps to keep your family safe: Stand by your pan. Watch what you are cooking. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Keep a lid or baking sheet nearby. #FirePreventionWeek2020 #publicsafety

Do you have a fire extinguisher? If not, now is the time to get one. Keep extinguishers in a handy location such as just inside a door or entrance. Be sure that everyone in the family knows where extinguishers are located and how to use them. #FirePreventionWeek2020 #publicsafety

Fire prevention starts with you! Keep anything that can catch fire such as oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains at least three feet away from your stovetop to prevent a fire. #FirePreventionWeek2020 #publicsafety

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Federal Emergency Management Agency Special Weather Statement issued September 22 at 6:32AM EDT by NWS Albany NY Areas Affected: Eastern Schenectady; Northern L...itchfield; Southern Fulton; Western Dutchess; Eastern Rensselaer; Eastern Albany; Western Ulster; Western Greene; Schoharie; Western Rensselaer; Eastern Ulster; Southern Litchfield; Eastern Greene; Western Schenectady; Eastern Columbia; Southern Saratoga; Montgomery; Western Albany; Western Columbia; Northern Fulton; Eastern Dutchess The prolonged dry weather across eastern New York and northwestern Connecticut has resulted in very low live and dead fuel moisture. With low relative humidity and gusty northwest winds to 25 mph expected today, any fires which escape initial containment and become established, could potentially become serious. Consult your local fire warden if planning any outdoor burning on Tuesday. What To Do