Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara announced $250,000 in funding was secured in the final state budget for a town-wide project to replace outdated fire hydrant adapters across the eight fire districts in Rotterdam. The replacement adapters will be standardized to ensure that all fire departments are able to easily make a connection to any hydrant when responding to emergencies.

“This isn’t just a matter of convenience, but also one of safety,” said Santabarbara. “Every minute is precious when handling a fire, and saving time and effort for our firefighters can make all the difference and save lives.”

“These adapters will allow better access to the hydrants without the need for additional special adapters,” said First Assistant Chief Kevin Thomas. “All Town Departments, and outside Town mutual aid departments, can hook up to this connection more quickly and easily. We spoke to Assemblyman Santabarbara in regards to this need, and with his assistance we can now make this project a reality. This is a very important step in the ability of all Fire Departments to better serve and protect the residents of the Town of Rotterdam.”

The outdated fire hydrants force fire companies to use converters, creating unnecessary additional steps during emergencies. Standardizing hydrant adapters will allow a fire district serving the town to all use the same fitting, saving time with a streamlined process, noted Santabarbara.