Project will enable building to more effectively serve as command center, staging area and emergency medical treatment facility, while maintaining emergency response capabilities of first responders
Rotterdam, NY (December 9, 2016) – The Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery (GOSR) today announced the start of a construction project that will better enable the Town of Rotterdam’s Fire District #1 to respond to severe storm-related emergencies, while providing ample space for residents to seek emergency medical services and to collect and store necessary supplies and equipment.
The project was developed through GOSR’s NY Rising Community Reconstruction (NYRCR) Program− a bottom-up effort designed to empower storm-impacted communities in the recovery and resiliency process.
“From Day 1, our mandate from Governor Cuomo has been not only to build back, but to prepare for the future by building with greater resiliency,” said Executive Director of GOSR, Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “I am pleased to work with local officials and residents on a project that will enable emergencies services to be provided to the public as expeditiously as possible for years to come."
Response and recovery efforts in the Hamlet of Rotterdam Junction in the Town of Rotterdam, were seriously impeded during Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011. Garage bays, which normally housed fire equipment, became emergency operations centers and staging areas for the collection and distribution of essential items for flood victims. The American Red Cross provided on-site medical care and vaccinations, while the fire house provided daytime shelter, meals and other assistance, straining the capacity of the fire station.
The State partnered with Schenectady County Town of Rotterdam to utilize about $1.5 million of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds. The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) is providing design and construction facilitation services.
The scope of the project at 1215 Main Street in Rotterdam Junction includes: an emergency operations command center, triage area and emergency supply storage room expansion of the parking lot and installation of a back-up power generator and ADA-compliant restrooms.
“A hallmark of the NY Rising Community Reconstruction Program is direct local input to determine priorities for implementation,” said Deputy Executive Director of GOSR, Natalie Wright. “Local, civic-minded residents are the people who best know the needs of their community. I am grateful to the Schenectady-Rotterdam community advisory committee members for their commitment and dedication.”
“DASNY is proud to be managing design and construction for this addition to the volunteer firehouse,” said President and CEO of DASNY, Gerrard P. Bushell. “This project serves as an excellent example of how our work with the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery is strengthening communities across the State against increasingly powerful storms.”
Projected construction completion is anticipated in late fall 2017.
About the NY Rising Community Reconstruction Program
Announced by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in April 2013, the NYRCR Program seeks to empower storm-impacted communities throughout the State, helping them to build back better and stronger than before. Altogether, more than 650 New Yorkers served on 66 NYRCR Committees, which have collectively proposed approximately 700 locally-oriented projects. Throughout the eight-month planning process, the program has held more than 650 Planning Committee meetings and more than 250 large scale Public Engagement Events. Funding for both planning and project implementation comes from HUD’s CDBG-DR Program.
About GOSR
Established in June 2013, GOSR coordinates Statewide recovery efforts for Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. Through its NYRCR Program− as well as its NY Rising Housing Recovery, Small Business and Infrastructure programs− GOSR invests $4.4 billion in federal CDBG-DR funding to better prepare New York for future extreme weather events. More information about GOSR and its programs is available online at http://stormrecovery.ny.gov/.