Golden’s Bridge FD Makes Public Safety Recommendations For Master Plan

GOLDEN'S BRIDGE, NY — As the Town of Lewisboro prepares to create a master plan that will decide the priorities for the future, the Golden's Bridge Fire Department has made recommendations that could make the job of saving lives just a little easier.

From the Golden's Bridge Fire Department.

Dry hydrants at key static water sources, emergency access to northbound I-684 from Route 22, and expanded incentives to recruit and retain volunteers – these are among the key recommendations of the Golden’s Bridge Fire District in a letter to the consultant coordinating the new comprehensive Master Plan process for the Town of Lewisboro.

The recommendations are aimed at further enhancing and improving the ability of Golden’s Bridge firefighters to serve the emergency response needs of residents, businesses and institutions throughout the Fire District, which includes the hamlet of Golden’s Bridge and swaths of North Salem and Somers.

"Dry hydrants at key static water sources on private and public property throughout the Fire District would further improve the already extensive water supply for fire suppression," said Edward Brancati, a Fire Commissioner and Chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Golden’s Bridge Fire District. "We are always seeking ways to make water more readily accessible. By further reducing water delivery time to a structure fire, it improves firefighters’ ability to save lives and minimize damage to property."

Static water sources, including ponds, lakes and reservoirs, are central to firefighting operations in rural communities that don’t have pressurized water distribution systems and hydrants, according to Golden’s Bridge Fire Chief Dennis Delborgo, who worked with the Board of Fire Commissioners in developing the recommendations. Water is drafted from static sources, filling tanker engines for transport to structure fires, he explained, which is why there are typically multiple tankers, including those from mutual aid departments, staging at a static water source.

The Golden’s Bridge Fire District consists of hundreds of residential structures; a retail shopping center, auto dealership and wholesale/retail plumbing supply complexes, and a multitude of other businesses and professional offices; a Metro North Railroad station and NYSEG substation; portions of the I-684 corridor and Muscoot Reservoir system, and institutions such as Increase Miller Elementary School and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.

The Golden’s Bridge Fire Department, which is usually first on the scene of all 911 emergency calls in the district, responds to structure, vehicle and brush fires; all medical emergencies; smoke and carbon monoxide alarms; vehicular accidents and motor vehicle extrication; hazardous material spills; storm-related disasters, and water and ice rescue. The GBFD responds to 250-300 calls per year. Its fleet consists of a rescue engine, brush engine, an engine with 1,000 gallons of water, tanker engine with a 3,500-gallon capacity, utility/EMS first response vehicle, all-terrain vehicle, rescue boat, and others.

The recommendations for the Town’s comprehensive Master Plan was in response to a series of questions from Valerie Monastra, principal planner of Nelson Pope Voorhis, the consulting firm retained by the Town Board.

In the letter, Brancati raised a need for emergency access to I-684 from Route 22 when Golden’s Bridge firefighters respond to vehicle accidents on the busy highway. While the GBFD, at present, more than adequately responds to emergencies on I-684, the Fire District, for a number of years, has proposed to local, state and federal officials the need for a northbound emergency access point to improve and make more effective and efficient the GBFD’s response to highway 911 calls.

"An on-ramp or emergency access – not just for the Golden’s Bridge Fire Department, but also for the State Police, EMS, and all emergency services agencies – would reduce response time," Brancati said. "Every minute counts and could be the difference between life or death for those in a motor vehicle accident or having a medical episode on the highway. The GBFD is forced to drive south one exit in order to turn around and come back north to the accident scene. On occasion, firefighters have jumped the barrier on foot with equipment in hand because it was faster to get to injured motorists. That shouldn’t have to be the case when a simple solution is emergency access or a northbound on-ramp."

Brancati said the comprehensive Master Plan process also presents the opportunity to address the challenges of recruitment and retention of volunteers – an issue that all volunteer emergency services experience.

"Recruitment and retention of volunteers is an ongoing effort," said Brancati. "The GBFD is a member of a recently-established committee – which consists of the Town’s three fire departments (including South Salem and Vista), LVAC, and the Town supervisor – to address these issues. This collaborative effort has yielded some progress, but there is much to be done in this area. We believe the Master Plan process could play a role in addressing the recruitment and retention of emergency services volunteers."

"Some of the things to consider – tapping into the community reach of the Katonah-Lewisboro School District, expanding Town and school district tax incentives, no-cost access to Town recreational programs, and affordable first responder housing," Brancati added. "These could have a positive impact on recruiting and retaining volunteer emergency responders – the first line of defense in our greatest time of need."