Binghamton, NY – Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo was joined by City of Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham, Fire Chief Alan Gardiner and Training Instructor Tim Dahulich to unveil new turn-out gear for the City of Binghamton Fire Department.

A $150K Assembly grant secured by Assemblywoman Lupardo funded the purchase of 30 complete sets of firefighter turn-out gear, each comprised of a helmet, a cancer-barrier prevention hood, turn-out coat and pants, gloves, boots, and bail out systems. This will replace the gear for 30 of the Department’s 117 firefighters whose current gear is nearing end-of-life. According to National Fire Protection Association Standard 1971, turn-out gear should be replaced every ten years.

Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo said “Making sure that our first responders have updated equipment is a high priority for me. This is especially important for firefighters whose turn-out gear is replaced every ten years. We are grateful to our firefighters for risking their own safety to protect the community and have an obligation to help keep them safe.”

City of Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham said, “Our first responders deserve to know the equipment they rely on every day meets the highest standards and will help keep them safe. My thanks to Assemblywoman Lupardo for securing this funding. This new gear will allow the men and women of the Binghamton Fire Department to continue working to protect residents and do their jobs safely.”

City of Binghamton Fire Chief Alan Gardiner said, “Everyday our Firefighters risk their lives to protect city residents from dangers we hope they never face. Protecting our Firefighters is a top priority for the city of Binghamton. Turn-out gear is an integral part of a protective envelope Firefighters don in the event of emergency. Most importantly it enables Firefighters to perform their duties and work in dangerous environments most of us wouldn’t consider. It is critical this gear meets or exceeds the standards set by The National Fire Protection Agency to afford the utmost protection for our Firefighters. I would like to thank Assemblywomen Lupardo for securing these funds, it will go a long way in providing new gear for our Firefighters.”