Anyone visiting the fire station Tuesday can be forgiven for thinking the Sulphur Springs firefighters were celebrating Christmas a little early.

But in a way, they were.

The boxes at the station meant that three months of waiting had come to an end, and the items stowed inside encompassed the department's new bunker gear. Think of it as getting new clothes for Christmas when you REALLY wanted new clothes.

City firemen spent the morning unpacking, distributing and trying on their new turnout gear, purchased in September with $19,907 from an Assistance to Firefighters Grant, with the city kicking in the remaining portion of the $29,000 cost of the gear, according to Sulphur Springs Fire Department Driver Jay McKee, who penned the grant application.

For the full article, go to: http://www.ssnewstelegram.com/news/2005/december/nt120105ssfdnewgear.html