Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone Declares Fire Island Open for the Summer 2013 Season

Local Officials Address Storm Damage and Subsequent Restoration of Fire Island Business Economy

OCEAN BEACH, N.Y. (May 10, 2013) – Today, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone declared Fire Island open for business for the summer of 2013 season. He was joined by the Mayor of Ocean Beach, James Mallot, Islip Town Supervisor Tom Croci, and members of “Revive FI”, the Fire Island grassroots business association, to provide updates on the state of Fire Island’s economic recovery for Summer 2013.

Just over six months ago, Hurricane Sandy devastated the remote 32-mile-long barrier island leaving residents and businesses with the challenge of trying to restore normalcy before the summer months. The restoration effort was forced to begin immediately, as local businesses rely entirely upon tourism spending for its survival during a slim 12- week summer vacation season. This restoration effort included an unprecedented debris removal process coordinated across multiple municipalities, government agencies, and local community organizations.

Fire Island is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and accessible only by boardwalk or ferry. It offers a private close-to-home paradise to New Yorkers looking for a beach getaway while also serving as a barrier beach to protect the south shore of Long Island.

“We are proud to declare Fire Island ‘Open for Business!’ We want to thank Governor Andrew Cuomo, the Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA, and all of the local towns, municipalities, and community groups that collaborated in an unprecedented fashion to complete a debris removal and rebuilding process that many believed would never be finished on time,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone

"It has been 6 months of solid hard work but we are determined to be open for the summer season," said Mayor of Ocean Beach, Jim Mallot.

"I want to thank all of the first responders and emergency personnel who led these communities through Hurricane Sandy, and I applaud the efforts of Fire Island's residents and business owners as they recover from this storm," said Islip Supervisor Tom Croci. "The scale of devastation that Fire Island endured is hard to comprehend, but it will be overcome. Fire Island is back and ready for summer."

"We are here to let people know that Fire Island is still the same magical place it was before Sandy came rolling through and your friends are waiting for you," said Scott Hirsch from Revive FI.

The Suffolk County IDA, who provided emergency sales tax relief for 10 Fire Island based businesses, contributed $20,000 to the ReviveFI advertising campaign. Suffolk IDA CEO/Executive Director Anthony Manetta stated, "The IDA is proud to lend our support to let the public know that Fire Island IS open for business".

About Revive FI
REVIVE FI is a network of private businesses from Kismet, Fair Harbor, Ocean Beach, Seaview and Ocean Bay Park who partnered to promote the economic welfare of Fire Island. Revive FI is a self-funded grassroots organization dedicated to economic recovery by providing accurate information regarding Fire Island’s Post-Sandy recovery efforts to the public and the media. The ultimate goal is to help potential visitors make informed decisions about their summer vacation plans by providing valuable updates on a Fire Island region that was badly battered by the storm just six months ago.