Sag Harbor Firehouse Grant Will Be Directed to Fireboat Instead - 27 East

Sag Harbor Firehouse Grant Will Be Directed to Fireboat Instead

authorStephen J. Kotz on Nov 29, 2022

The Sag Harbor Fire Department, which has been raising money to buy a state-of-the-art fireboat, has found a significant portion of that funding by re-purposing a $250,000 state grant originally intended to be used for the renovation and expansion of the Sag Harbor Firehouse.

Trustee Tom Gardella, who is a former chief and remains an active member in the department, estimated that a fireboat will cost approximately $650,000. With the grant, a private pledge of $100,000 and $80,000 raised with the Sag Harbor Partnership at a summertime community party, a total of $430,000 has been raised.

Gardella has said in the past that his two biggest fears as fire chief were a major blaze on Main Street — as occurred in December 2016, when the Sag Harbor Cinema and surrounding buildings were seriously damaged — or a fire along the waterfront, where firefighters would be limited in their ability to attack the blaze from all sides.

The department has a re-purposed fireboat moored in Sag Harbor with an undersized pump that would be quickly outmatched in the event of a major fire. A second small boat is moored in Noyac.

The new fireboat would be available for mutual aid calls from other departments as well.

Gardella said he approached State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. about changing the intended use of the grant money, and he had agreed it would be an acceptable change in use of the money.

“Providing this necessary apparatus to the Sag Harbor Fire Department is critical to fully protect the health and safety of our community,” Thiele said in a release. “I was happy to work with the village fire department and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York to provide our dedicated response team with the funding needed to more effectively protect public safety.”

He added, “Thanks to all our volunteer first responders on the East End and across the state for their service.”

You May Also Like:

LIRR Service Resumes After Rental Truck Strikes Cove Hollow Train Trestle

Montauk Branch service resumed between Southampton and Montauk following a disruption due to a vehicle ... 26 Jun 2025 by Staff Writer

Oft-Dissed TCOs Get a Little Respect in Sag Harbor

A group of Sag Harbor Village traffic control officers gathered Wednesday, June 4, at the ... 11 Jun 2025 by Stephen J. Kotz

Car Narrowly Misses Diners When It Crashes Into Lulu Kitchen & Bar on Sag Harbor Main Street

Sag Harbor Village Police Chief Robert Drake said it was “a miracle” that nobody was ... 2 Jun 2025 by Stephen J. Kotz

Bridgehampton Child Care Center Honors Black and Brown Fire Chiefs

The Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center hosted “The Center Honors,” ceremony recognizing the outstanding ... 26 May 2025 by Staff Writer

Several Local Departments Respond To Put Out House Fire on Jobs Lane in Bridgehampton in Early Morning Hours on Sunday

The Bridgehampton Fire Department responded to a house fire on Jobs Lane in Bridgehampton in ... 21 May 2025 by Cailin Riley

Shelter Island Smoke Visible From Sag Harbor Coming From a Controlled Burn

The smoke seen billowing from Mashomack Preserve – and visible from Sag Harbor – on ... 23 Mar 2025 by Jack Motz

Update: Accident Occurred During Scheduled Maintenance, Compounding East End Power Outage

Update Friday, February 21: Power Line Maintenance Work That Was Underway When Box Truck Took ... 20 Feb 2025 by Staff Writer

Lost Hiker Rescued From Manorville Woods in Good Health

A 67-year-old hiker who got separated from his group in the Pine Barrens near Manorville was located after a massive emergency response and hours of searching on Monday, December 9. The man, who is from Staten Island, was reported missing at about 2:30 p.m. by friends who had been with him at Manorville Hills County Park that morning. The group had set out on their hike about 9:30 a.m., but the man, who police have not identified by name, got separated from the rest of the group sometime after 11:30 a.m. When he couldn’t be located, the hikers called Southampton ... 9 Dec 2024 by Staff Writer

Multiple Departments Respond to House Fire in Northwest Woods

Firefighters from the East Hampton, Sag Harbor, Springs and Amagansett fire departments responded to a ... 10 Nov 2024 by Stephen J. Kotz

A Grief-Filled Courtroom as Sentences Are Pronounced in Noyac Fatal Fire Case

Four people whose lives have been forever altered by a fatal Noyac fire in 2022 ... 7 Nov 2024 by T.E. McMorrow