A nearly half-million-dollar donation made to the Village of Waterloo will allow its fire department to purchase a pumper truck. Seneca Meadows on Tuesday announced it was donating $495,000 to the Village of Waterloo for the Waterloo Volunteer Fire Department (WVFD) to purchase a 2017 pumper truck. This addition will be in service in a few months.
“The men and women of the Waterloo Volunteer Fire Department serve our community with dedication, commitment, and distinction,” Kyle Black, District Manager for Seneca Meadows said. “Seneca Meadows will always look for ways to honor that service by helping them do their job in the safest way possible and we are proud to continue that support today and moving forward.”
This pumper fire truck is a type of fire apparatus equipped with a permanently mounted fire pump capable of pumping 1500 gallons per minute. Its primary purpose is to combat structural and associated fires.
“The top responsibility of government is public protection,” Mayor Walter Bennett said. “The Waterloo Volunteer Fire Department will be able to provide a higher level of protection as a result of support from Seneca Meadows.”
Waterloo Fire Chief Mark Shaw said, “On behalf of the men and women of the Waterloo Volunteer Fire Department, I’d like to thank Seneca Meadows for their continued support of the WVFD, and first responders across the region. This needed replacement fire truck will become an integral part of the ongoing WVFD operation, helping to provide for emergency fire protection service to the Village and surrounding areas in a dependable and timely manner.”
Village Administrator Don Northrup said, “The WVFD is one of the finest fire protection teams in the Finger lakes. They willingly volunteer their time in service to the Village and surrounding communities to help ensure the safety of all, and I’m pleased to know that they will continue to have the proper functioning fire apparatus to deal with an emergency. It’s very challenging to replace old fire protection equipment given the substantial cost increases without also significantly raising property taxes. With this support from Seneca Meadows, the Village can better meet this challenge.”
Waterloo Fire Department First Assistant Steven Henninger said, “The families we safeguard deserve the best possible equipment to protect them in times of crisis. Thanks to Seneca Meadows for their commitment to supporting the WVFD once again.”
The primary source of funds for the WVFD comes from the Village of Waterloo through a combination of property taxes and other monies paid by surrounding towns that contract with the Village to provide fire protection.
“Seneca Meadows continues our 20+ year commitment to Waterloo and the surrounding communities. We work every day to live up to being a ‘Valued Partner, Trusted Neighbor.’ Part of that important work is to support first responders and the work they do protecting our communities with the proper equipment, tools, and training.”
