Pheffer Amato Comes to the Rescue for the BCVFD Firehouse

By Katie McFadden

The Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department’s (BCVFD) new firehouse plans can once again move forward with the recent allocation of $1 million in state funding from Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato.

On May 2, the BCVFD had a contract signing with JAT Construction Group after they believed they had sufficient funding to get the ball rolling on the new firehouse, after about 30 years of planning for it. Construction was expected to start in the summer, but plans came to a screeching halt in June as BCVFD president Dan McIntyre announced at a Broad Channel Civic Association meeting that what they thought was going to be $1M in state funding from Senator James Sanders’ office, only turned out to be $100K after the state budget passed, putting them far from their goal once again. Sanders explained that it had been a miscommunication.

But better news came at the September 17 Broad Channel Civic Association meeting as Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato presented a $1M check to McIntyre to fill the funding gap. “Thank you to Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato and congratulations to Dan and the vollies. It looks like their new firehouse is really going to happen!” BCCA president Dan Mundy Jr. said after the meeting.

“When Dan McIntyre and the Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department & Ambulance Corp. said they were still short in funding for their new fire house, I knew I couldn’t let another hurdle stand in their way. I was proud to present them with $1 million to finally get this firehouse built once and for all!” Pheffer Amato said.

“Huge thank you to NYS Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato on getting us one step closer to realizing our dream,” the BCVFD said in a Facebook post about the good news.

The brand-new firehouse will be located at 305 Cross Bay Blvd. It will be elevated to reduce flooding risks and damage to its trucks and ambulances. In addition to a firehouse, the building will serve as an Emergency Operations Center, where the community can gather for pre-storm planning and post-storm operations.

The BCVFD says they’re still trying to secure a bank that will front them the capital needed to start the process, but if everything goes well, they hope to hold a groundbreaking ceremony sometime in late October.

In the meantime, operations will continue out of their current firehouse at 15 Noel Road. That’s also where they’ll host their next thrilling BCVFD Haunted House, from October 29 through November 2, so save the date for spooky season!