From left, Falconer Village Trustee Alan Gustafson Jr., Mayor James Jaroszynski, Attorney Greg Peterson, Trustee Anthony (Skip) Cavallaro and Trustee Annette Miller conduct village business Tuesday Evening. P-J photo by Christopher Blakeslee

FALCONER – The Falconer Volunteer Fire Department will receive a $325,000 state grant.

Fire department officials briefed members of the Falconer Village Board on the grant during a meeting this week.

“We have been awarded a grant from New York state, the V-Fire Grant, for $325,000,” said Bryce Webster, Falconer Volunteer Fire Department chief. “Some of the funds will be used for repairing the department’s roof, purchasing a new generator and for our recruiting efforts.”

The Volunteer Fire Infrastructure and Response Equipment Grant Program (V-FIRE) is a state-funded $25 million competitive grant program that provides funding to volunteer fire departments and districts statewide.

In addition to the V-FIRE grant, Webster discussed the department’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Webster said the grant has been approved, but if the board wants the fire department to purchase a mobile sign instead of the permanent, electrical one that was applied for within the SAFER grant, the department will have to re-submit a request to FEMA for authorization.

“Sounds good,” said Mayor James Jaroszynski. “Price it out, and see if FEMA will allow it.”

The SAFER Grant Program provides funding to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to assist with increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry minimum standards, to attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards, and to fulfill traditional missions of fire departments.

Village Board members also approved the purchase of a new snow plow truck by the village Public Works Department. Avery Faulkner, village public works superintendent, is authorized to order the vehicle with a sale price not to exceed $300,000 – though Faulkner said the village won’t need to spend that much.

“The sale price is way below the $300,000 cap,” he said. “The purchase of the chassis and cab will cost $288,000. However, we will also receive a discount of $8,000 making the total sale price of $280,000”

Faulkner recommended the village sell one of its older 2004 plow trucks at auction.

“I think it would sell for around $20,000,” he said. “We could also apply that to the purchase of the new truck.”

Faulkner said he expected the truck to be delivered in the fall of 2026.

In other business.

– The Falconer Public Library held a Lego Day recently from noon until 2 p.m. Library staff reported that many local schools, including Falconer, had the day off for an in-service day. More than 45 people attended the event. Participants created a Lego village while enjoying pizza and snacks during the program.

– Village Code Enforcement officials report that year-to-date the department has collected $3,026.70 in permit fees; issued three permits in November so far; and has collected $100 in November.

– The Falconer Volunteer Fire Department has responded to 702 calls year-to-date. During October the department responded to 64 incidents including, 11 fires, 53 rescue calls and provided mutual-aid assistance to twice to the Jamestown Fire Department, four times to the Kennedy Fire Department, and once to the Frewsburg, Kiantone and Gerry fire departments.