Councilwoman Ariola Secures New Equipment for Vollies

Councilwoman Joann Ariola worked with newly minted FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker to secure teleprinter machines for three local volunteer fire stations, enabling volunteer rescuers to connect to the larger 911 system and respond to emergencies in real time. The Point Breeze Volunteer Fire Department, the Rockaway Point Volunteer Fire Department, and the Roxbury Volunteer Fire Department are all slated to receive these brand-new machines in the coming months, and the Councilwoman hopes to add teleprinters to additional volunteer departments throughout the city in the near future to further enhance their response times.

“In the past, due to the relative distances between communities like Breezy Point and Roxbury from nearby hospitals and EMS stations, response times from city services have been high, sometimes with tragic consequences,” said Councilwoman Joann Ariola. “These teleprinters will change all of that. By having these machines in their stationhouses, our dedicated volunteers can respond to calls as they come into the larger 911 system, rather than waiting until someone contacts their house directly or until the FDNY is already on-scene. This will drastically decrease response times, and in situations where every second counts they can help to save a life during a crisis.”

“I’d like to thank Commissioner Tucker for already proving his dedication to public safety by getting these machines for our vollies,” the Councilwoman added. “He’s just barely gotten his feet through the door, and he is already making positive improvements for our city.”

“We greatly appreciate the partnership of Councilwoman Ariola and her team,” said Denise Lopresti, General Manager of the Breezy Point Cooperative. “Her efforts will enable the Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Corps and the Breezy Point community to better respond to emergencies and support our dedicated first responders.  This equipment will be invaluable to our joint operations.”

“I can’t thank Councilwoman Ariola and Commissioner Tucker enough,” said Jimmy Morton, Chief, Rockaway Point Volunteer Fire Department. “The new teleprinters are a game changer for us. Having direct access to 911 dispatch information puts us in a stronger position to serve our community. It’s all about making sure we’re there when people need us the most.”