Brindisi announces funding for Advanced Rescue Unit for Utica City Fire Department
New tactical unit sill handle advanced life support medical calls, including helping firefighters administer NARCAN for drug overdoses, replaces old rescue unit that handled more than 3,000 calls year
Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi today announced he has secured a $250,000 grant for Utica to replace ‘Tactical Unit 2,’ (known as Tac-2), an emergency response vehicle, with a new, updated vehicle.
Tac-2 handles a variety of emergency responses in the entire City of Utica, including Advanced Life Support medical calls, and personnel on it work closely with transporting ambulance services. The old Tactical Unit it replaces was over 13 years old, and had over 100,000 miles on it responding to emergency incidents throughout the city.
“Mayor Palmieri, Fire Department officials and members of the Utica Professional Firefighters Association Local 32 clearly demonstrated to me the importance of having this vehicle,” said Brindisi. “It provides a quick response to a variety of emergency situations on a daily basis throughout the City of Utica, and I was pleased to secure funding for this very important resource. It is an advanced, two person search and rescue vehicle that responds to every structure fire reported in the city, and it is fully equipped to search for people trapped in fires or in serious car accidents; and to administer NARCAN to quickly address drug overdoses. In the event a firefighter needs to be rescued, it has all the equipment needed for a quick response. Being able to upgrade the city’s rescue unit with the latest equipment will help ensure that the fire department can quickly and adequately respond to any emergency situation.”
“Investing in new equipment is a vital component in providing the high level of public safety Uticans deserve,” said Mayor Robert Palmieri. “I commend Assemblyman Brindisi for securing funding for a new TAC unit for the Utica Fire Department. This vehicle will replace an aging apparatus and be utilized at the busiest fire company in the City, which responds to over 3,000 medical and rescue calls annually. The purchase of the TAC unit continues the City’s aggressive vehicle replacement plan we have implemented to provide the best possible fire and EMS protection for our residents.”
“The guys riding in the former TAC-2 would cross their fingers all the way to calls hoping it wouldn’t break down en-route,” said Thomas E. Carcone, President of IAFF Local 32, the Utica Professional Fire Fighters Association. “It was a serious concern for response and for the safety of our members. We reached out to Assemblyman Brindisi’s office with our problem. He researched, prioritized, and delivered. This is just another example of what Assemblyman Brindisi has done for the safety of our department, our members, and the people of the community we serve. He is a true advocate for first responders, and we can’t thank him enough. The new Tactical Unit will allow us to get our tools, medical, and extrication equipment where it has to be to make the difference when seconds count