KINGSTON, N.Y. — A total of $1.6 million in state funding has been allocated to five regional volunteer fire departments, according to state Sen. Michele Hinchey.

Hinchey, D- Saugerties, who represents the 41st Senate District, made the funding announcement Friday, Sept. 18, along with the state Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services Commissioner Terence O’Leary.

Hinchey’s office said that $1,633,273 in funding has been awarded to regional fire departments.

The capital funding comes through the $25 million Volunteer Fire Infrastructure & Response Equipment Grant Program, also known as V-FIRE, Hinchey’s office said in a news release.

Hinchey established V-FIRE as a state budget initiative in 2023. It is the first-ever capital fund dedicated to helping New York’s volunteer fire departments afford essential equipment and infrastructure upgrades that improve facilities and emergency response capabilities, Hinchey’s office said.

The Tivoli Fire Department was among 10 volunteer departments across the state that received the maximum award of $1 million.

Other area fire departments receiving funding include the Kerhonkson Fire District, $388,050; the Lebanon Valley Protective Association in Columbia County, $96,554; the Village of Catskill Fire Department in Greene County, $90,669; and the Stuyvesant Falls Fire District in Columbia County, $58,000.

The investments build on the $25 million previously awarded in October 2024 to 88 volunteer fire departments, including the Big Indian-Oliverea Fire Company and Shawangunk Valley Fire Company in Ulster County and Leeds Hose Company No. 1 in Greene County, according to the release.

An additional $25 million was secured for V-FIRE through the 2027 budget and will be awarded next year during round three of the program, the release said.

“We developed the V-FIRE program because our volunteer firefighters put their lives on the line to serve our communities,” Hinchey said in a statement, “and they need safe and modern equipment in order to do this important work.

Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY) President Donald Farrell said in the release that the funding is important to fire departments.

“A major component of the public safety equation is having functional stations, effective equipment and necessary apparatus,” Farrell said in a statement. “The V-FIRE program, championed by Senator Hinchey, provides an additional funding stream that directly results in increased community protection and risk reduction.”

Tivoli Fire Chief Marc Hildenbrand said that the funding is particularly valuable.

“For volunteer firehouses, it’s a real struggle to keep up with the rising costs for infrastructure and equipment,” Hildenbrand said. “Tivoli has also endured the added challenge of having to build back after a fire in their firehouse. As one of the larger volunteer fire departments in our region, this funding enables us to have the facilities and tools we need to respond to emergencies and provide mutual aid safely and effectively.”

Hinchey’s office said she has been a strong advocate for volunteer fire services in the Senate, providing more than $7.2 million in capital grants to help local departments buy rescue equipment, turnout gear, and make firehouse modernizations.

The office also said Hinchey helped secure $750,000 in the 2026 state budget to support the New York State Professional Fire Fighters Association, which will aid professional fire departments, including the Kingston Fire Department.

© 2026 Daily Freeman, Kingston, N.Y.. Visit www.dailyfreeman.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.