Town Donates High-Water Rescue Vehicles

When flooding deluged the Mastic Peninsula during two major winter storms in January, rescue efforts by fire department volunteers were bogged down by emergency vehicles that weren’t entirely up to the task.

“We had water coming in through the doors,” said Mastic Beach Fire Commissioner Bill Biondi of the Army surplus trucks the department uses for water rescue. Thanks to the donation of a new emergency response vehicle donated by Brookhaven Town, they will be better prepared the next time around.

The department’s old Army surplus rescue vehicles weren’t up to the task. File Photo

“The marked increase in the frequency of these significant rain and flooding events present challenges for local fire departments,” said Supervisor Dan Panico in announcing vehicles for both Mastic Beach and Port Jefferson, which was also heavily impacted by the coastal storms. “They experienced considerable rain and flooding, which made it extremely difficult to make rescues in the affected areas,” Panico noted. “Since the responsibility of water rescues was transferred from the town to local fire districts, the trucks were no longer needed by the Town of Brookhaven.”

The high water rescue trucks, known as Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) and manufactured by the Stewart & Stevenson Company of Houston, will also be made available to surrounding departments under the donation agreement. The Port Jefferson department also received an Inmar Hull inflatable boat with a trailer.

“Two of our most vulnerable coastal communities are Mastic Beach and Port Jefferson, and their fire departments need the right tools to help keep residents safe,” Panico went on. “Accordingly, we are pleased to be able to help them do their job with the donation of these high-water rescue vehicles.”

Commissioner Biondi noted that the first of the two January storms that socked the area brought flooding that was as bad as Hurricane Sandy. “We are a low-lying community, and it is critical to have the proper equipment to evacuate people during these major weather events,” Biondi said. “Thanks go to Supervisor Panico and the town board for recognizing our need.”

Supervisor Panico was joined at the press conference announcing the donation by the town’s Chief Fire Marshal Chris Mehrman; Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich; Deputy Supervisor/Councilman Neil Foley; Port Jefferson Mayor Lauren Sheprow; Councilman Michael Loguercio; and Councilwoman Karen Dunne Kesnig.

If the districts ever decide to sell the vehicles, the town retained the right to request they be returned, the officials pointed out.