Saranac Lake, left, and Lake Placid firefighters use their aerial ladder trucks, pikes and hoses to attack a fire above Chinese Restaurant No. 1 in Saranac Lake in February 2014. (Enterprise Photo – Peter Crowley)

SARANAC LAKE — Two local fire departments will receive state grants for either facilities or equipment as part of a $25 million package announced Friday by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

This Volunteer Fire Infrastructure and Response Equipment Grant Program funding is provided to 88 entities across the state through the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.

The Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department will receive $200,532 for facilities and the Paul Smiths-Gabriels Volunteer Fire Department will receive $217,360 for equipment.

“Volunteer firefighters are the best public servants, and an investment in them is an investment in the safety of the communities they serve,” Hochul said in a statement. “These grants will provide volunteer firefighters with the resources they need to continue to protect New Yorkers; support commensurate with their professionalism and the invaluable weight of their efforts.”

The Volunteer Fire Infrastructure and Response Equipment Grant Program supports the safety and health and well-being of volunteer firefighters by providing adequate and up-to-date equipment that includes personal protective equipment, decontamination equipment and supplies, and effective evacuation systems.

In addition, the V-FIRE grant program will support the strengthening of fire service resources through regionalization efforts to expand beyond jurisdictional boundaries to further enhance response efforts at the local, county and state level.

Eligible costs include building new or renovating existing fire stations, classrooms, meeting spaces or training centers, as well as installing evacuation and decontamination systems or purchasing equipment such as firefighter PPE, PPE washers and dryers and equipment rehabilitation for firefighters. .

“Our volunteer firefighters put their lives on the line every time they suit up to help others in need.” New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said in a news release. “Through the V-FIRE grant program, we are working to ensure they have the resources they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. We thank our volunteers for their service and are grateful for the work they do to keep their communities safe.”

Applications from volunteer fire departments were competitively reviewed and evaluated by a team of civil servants from the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services using a multi-tiered list of criteria.

The scoring process not only assessed the timeliness and completeness of applications, but also a number of other factors, including the department’s annual operating budget. Those with smaller annual operating budgets were given priority.