Long Island firefighters say funding for equipment they rely on could soon be coming to an end.

Sen. Charles Schumer Monday was joined by firefighters in East Williston and other departments to make a bipartisan push to help the department - and nearly 70 others across the Island - in need of, in some cases, lifesaving equipment.

The East Willison fire department needs new breathing equipment that will cost $200,000 that it just doesn't have

Schumer says the Assistance to the Firefighters Grants program, which he wrote, is in limbo because Congress has not funded them past 2023. He is pushing for a new bill on the Senate floor later this week to get more money.

The senator says both the Senate and the House need to include this money in the overall budget. If they don't, safety could become a real issue and could affect those who live in Long Island towns.

"The taxpayers of a small community like East Williston cannot afford this, but we want to protect our firefighters," Schumer says.

In a lot of cases, the money fire departments need is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Schumer says the funding for the grants will run out on Sept. 30 if more funding is not provided by Congress.