Rock The Boat Fundraiser, Protect Our Firefighters and Our Harbor

The Sag Harbor Partnership will ROCK THE BOAT at a community party in support of and in coordination with our local Sag Harbor Fire Department (SHFD) on September 18th from 4:30-6:30pm at the SHFD Headquarters on 1357 Brick Kiln Road. Tickets are $30 each ($15 for children 10 and under).

“It’s time to celebrate our volunteers and upgrade our internal Village services that protect residents and visitors who are drawn to Sag Harbor for its historic charm, beautiful water access, and boating,” said Susan Mead, Co-President of Sag Harbor Partnership. All are invited to ROCK THE BOAT and enjoy BBQ, raffle, face painting for the kids, dancing to the HooDoo Loungers, and more! We in the Sag Harbor community are determined to help our Sag Harbor Fire Department (SHFD) be safe while keeping us safe!

WHY ARE FUNDS NEEDED?

✓SHFD’s current equipment does not meet the National Fire ProtectionAssociation’s minimum standards or requirements.

✓Sag Harbor remains largely unprotected from marine-based fires.

✓The all-volunteer SHFD lacks the minimum standard equipment to adequately protect lives, property, and our coastline from emergency events covering over 30 miles of coastline, from Jessup Neck to Barcelona Point.

The SHFD lacks the minimum standard equipment to adequately protect lives, property, and our coastline from emergency events. This lack of equipment endangers our firefighters.

Sag Harbor is eastern Long Island’s primary boating and yachting center and yet it remains largely unprotected from marine-based fires. With the dramatic increase in the number and size of vessels in recent years, along with seaplanes and helicopters, it now serves a thousand-plus vessels up to 225 feet in length carrying thousands of gallons of fuel, as well as mega-yachts of 300 plus feet each that carry upwards of 70,000 gallons of fuel.

Due to a critical lack of badly needed equipment, the SHFD’s only vessel offers no personal protection to firefighters from the heat or smoke of burning chemicals. In addition, the department lacks adequate pumps to extinguish fires from a safe distance or foam capabilities to extinguish fuel burning on the water’s surface. Significant environmental damage to our waters and beaches could be limited with the ability to successfully extinguish boat fires.

The time has come for us to give our volunteer SHFD some real help by fundraising for equipment, and the boat, that will save lives, property, our beautiful coastline, and our firefighters. A new fire boat, with the necessary equipment, costs approximately $650,000. Their goal is to raise these funds in order to keep the firefighters safe.

The fundraiser will encourage tax deductible donations on all levels, which can be made at www.sagharborpartnership.org, a local Sag Harbor 501c3.