By Tali Hunt
The Dayton Daily News
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A grant awarded to the Jefferson Twp. Fire Department will save the township hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer dollars, the fire chief said.
This week, the Jefferson Twp. Board of Trustees accepted the bids for a grant received by the fire department for $419,128 in June from the United States Department of Homeland Security. The purpose of this grant is to upgrade firefighter personal protection gear and EMS cardiac equipment.
“Normally, the cost is budgeted by the jurisdiction,” said Fire Chief Larry Sexton. “I’m totally ecstatic for the members of the department and the citizens of the township because we did not have the money to pay for this equipment.”
The board approved the purchase of 43 sets of firefighter protection gear. Each set includes a jacket, pants, a helmet, a hood, gloves and boots. These sets will be used by the 46 firefighters in the Jefferson Twp. Fire Department.
According to Sexton, the firefighter personal protection gear will replace gear that was about to expire and that is in need of replacing. Sexton said the National Fire Protection Association’s regulations require protective gear to be replaced every 10 years.
The board also approved the purchase of three cardiac monitors, four automatic external defibrillators and three CPR devices.
“The cardiac monitors we have now are functional, but they are several generations old,” said Sexton. “The new ones are more up-to-date and have a lot of new features which will help us operate better.”
Sexton said funds are being sought to pay for 24 self-containing breathing apparatuses (SCBA). This equipment allows firefighters to go into dangerous environments, like burning buildings, and maintain their ability to help those in need. The department’s current SCBAs are also several generations old.
“Getting this grant is helping us function at our best,” said Sexton.
Copyright 2016 the Dayton Daily News