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Grants will replace self-contained breathing systems
By Tom Munds
A pair of federal grants is providing the funds to modernize and upgrade the entire Englewood Fire Department’s air pack system.
Air packs are the self-contained breathing systems firefighters wear when battling blazes or entering a location where it might not be safe to breathe the air. The system overhaul includes the equipment to fill spare air bottles and fill those that have been used up during the operation as well as the breathing equipment individual firefighters use.
A grant for about $95,000 will purchase a state-of-the-art system to refill the air bottles used for the self-contained breathing systems. The second grant of about $225,000 will replace the department’s aging air packs with equipment that use the latest in self-contained breathing system technology.
“These grants are very welcome and they are very timely,” Fire Chief Mike Pattarozzi told the city council at the Nov. 23 study session. “The federal grants enable us to replace our air truck’s compressor that is nearing the end of its useful life and a separate grant upgrades and modernizes our self-contained breathing equipment that is almost 15 years old and would soon have to be replaced. Thus, the grants have saved the city about $300,000 that would have been spend to replace the two systems.”
The Department of Homeland Security grants were awarded as part of the Urban Security Area Initiative.
The initiative began soon after 9-11 and was designed to enhance training for fire and police as well as provide or upgrade equipment for those agencies.
“The idea was for local departments to be trained and equipped to join forces with other agencies in response to a major natural or man-made incident,” said Kraig Stovall, deputy fire chief. “Another goal is that just about all agencies use the same air packs so, at a major incident, all the systems are compatible.”
Stovall said the grants should enable the air pack upgrades to be in place in Englewood by early next year.
For 23 years, Englewood has used an air truck that had an air compressor mounted on the bed. Stovall said the system was nearing the point where it had to be replaced. The deputy fire chief said the program had assigned three of the four compressor systems on hand. Englewood successfully applied to receive the fourth trailer and recently had the equipment delivered.
“Our system worked but improvements in technology made the equipment on the trailer much better and more efficient,” Stovall explained. “We are now getting the new equipment ready to put into service.”
He said the trailer weighs 9,500 pounds and Englewood is retrofitting the former air truck into the tow vehicle for the trailer.
The second grant allows replacement of the air packs. Stovall said the new equipment is lighter, the frames are designed to be more comfortable and it allows air cylinders to be changed more quickly. The newer equipment includes an improved read-out display as well as an audible low-air alarm that could help firefighters find a trapped or downed firefighter who was running out of air. The upgraded air packs also will be compatible with the breathing systems used by surrounding departments, Stovall said.
Air packs are the self-contained breathing systems firefighters wear when battling blazes or entering a location where it might not be safe to breathe the air. The system overhaul includes the equipment to fill spare air bottles and fill those that have been used up during the operation as well as the breathing equipment individual firefighters use.
A grant for about $95,000 will purchase a state-of-the-art system to refill the air bottles used for the self-contained breathing systems. The second grant of about $225,000 will replace the department’s aging air packs with equipment that use the latest in self-contained breathing system technology.
“These grants are very welcome and they are very timely,” Fire Chief Mike Pattarozzi told the city council at the Nov. 23 study session. “The federal grants enable us to replace our air truck’s compressor that is nearing the end of its useful life and a separate grant upgrades and modernizes our self-contained breathing equipment that is almost 15 years old and would soon have to be replaced. Thus, the grants have saved the city about $300,000 that would have been spend to replace the two systems.”
The Department of Homeland Security grants were awarded as part of the Urban Security Area Initiative.
The initiative began soon after 9-11 and was designed to enhance training for fire and police as well as provide or upgrade equipment for those agencies.
“The idea was for local departments to be trained and equipped to join forces with other agencies in response to a major natural or man-made incident,” said Kraig Stovall, deputy fire chief. “Another goal is that just about all agencies use the same air packs so, at a major incident, all the systems are compatible.”
Stovall said the grants should enable the air pack upgrades to be in place in Englewood by early next year.
For 23 years, Englewood has used an air truck that had an air compressor mounted on the bed. Stovall said the system was nearing the point where it had to be replaced. The deputy fire chief said the program had assigned three of the four compressor systems on hand. Englewood successfully applied to receive the fourth trailer and recently had the equipment delivered.
“Our system worked but improvements in technology made the equipment on the trailer much better and more efficient,” Stovall explained. “We are now getting the new equipment ready to put into service.”
He said the trailer weighs 9,500 pounds and Englewood is retrofitting the former air truck into the tow vehicle for the trailer.
The second grant allows replacement of the air packs. Stovall said the new equipment is lighter, the frames are designed to be more comfortable and it allows air cylinders to be changed more quickly. The newer equipment includes an improved read-out display as well as an audible low-air alarm that could help firefighters find a trapped or downed firefighter who was running out of air. The upgraded air packs also will be compatible with the breathing systems used by surrounding departments, Stovall said.
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