Rep. Gillen Announces $250,000 in New Federal Funding to Help the Floral Park Fire Department Purchase a New Hook-and-Ladder Fire Truck

A video of the press conference is available HERE.

FLORAL PARK, NY - Today, Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04) joined Floral Park Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald and Floral Park Fire Department Chief Eric O'Connor as well as members of the Floral Park Fire Department to announce $250,000 in new federal Community Project Funding (CPF) she secured through the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process. The funding will help purchase a new hook-and-ladder fire truck for the Floral Park Fire Department, enhancing the department's emergency response capabilities and improving public safety for residents throughout the village.

"I am proud to have secured $250,000 in new federal funding to help Floral Park purchase a much-needed hook-and-ladder truck," said Rep. Gillen. "This funding is a direct investment in the safety of Floral Park residents and will ensure the Fire Department has the equipment it needs to meet the community's growing needs. I look forward to seeing the new truck in service, helping keep residents and firefighters safe for years to come."

"Thank you, Congresswoman Gillen, for getting this important funding for us, for Floral Park and our fire department," said Mayor Fitzgerald. "These trucks do cost a lot of money. This one in particular is over $2.7 million, and every dime that we can get that doesn't cost the taxpayers here in Floral Park is important to us. Thank you once again for doing that."

"This is an investment in the safety of my members and the safety of this community as a whole" said Chief O'Connor. "So on behalf of the chiefs, officers, and members of Floral Park Fire Department, I want to thank Mayor Fitzgerald and the Village Board and Congresswoman Laura Gillen. This will help us out tremendously."

The Village of Floral Park currently relies on an aging, used truck that frequently requires repairs. Purchasing a new truck will replace the existing 30-year-old vehicle, which no longer meets current operational and safety standards. As the Village has grown, the increasing number of multi-story residential buildings has created a greater need for a hook-and-ladder truck to respond effectively to emergencies.

In addition to serving Floral Park's 16,000 residents, the Floral Park Fire Department provides mutual aid assistance to communities with a combined population of more than 130,000 residents. The department is also the only fire department in the Four Villages area equipped with a hook-and-ladder truck, making it a critical regional resource for emergency response.

This project received calls for support from a bipartisan group of leaders, including State Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, Nassau County Legislator Scott Strauss and Floral Park Village Trustee Jennifer Stewart.

The funding for Floral Park is part of more than $13 million in Community Project Funding that Rep. Gillen secured for Nassau County to invest in community infrastructure, enhance public safety, and improve the quality of life for residents across the district.

###