Collinsville firefighters will soon have more advanced equipment to help keep them safe in burning buildings.
The City Council on Monday authorized the Fire Department to award a bid and authorize a contract for the purchase of 30 new self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBAs. The total cost of $159,507 will come from the capital improvement fund.
Photo by Roger Starkey
SCBAs are used when breathing the air in the environment is dangerous, such as in a house fire or on a hazardous materials site. The Fire Department responded to 45 structure fires in 2012.
The new units will replace the existing 10-year-old units and offer a better head’s-up display, longer oxygen tank life, a voice amplification unit and improved warnings for oxygen level and the safety of the environment. Firefighter Colter Tate said the new equipment is also more user friendly.
The voice amplification units will make it possible for everyone battling the blaze to hear each other without screaming, Fire Chief Mark Emert said. “The fire scene is a noisy environment, especially in the building,” Emert said.
Towers Fire Apparatus, of Freeburg, was the only one of four vendors to respond to the Fire Department’s request for bid. Emert speculated that many vendors may have been unable to meet the department’s precise specifications. Despite the single bid, the total cost is about $40,000 less than expected, Emert said.
Selecting the SCBAs was a yearlong process that included a live test of equipment from two manufacturers during a May 2012 house fire. Tate served on the department committee that made the recommendation to purchase SCBAs manufactured by MSA. Emert said firefighter input during the selection process was essential.
“They have a huge voice in what we’re purchasing because they are the ones that have to go out and wear it and ride in it, Emert said.
Replacement of the SCBAs and other aging equipment has been a priority for Emert since he was named chief in January 2012. The department has started a replacement cycle to begin the processes of raising funds and testing before equipment is outdated.
“Our next project is to replace an aging ladder truck,” Emert said. “That probably won’t happen until 2015.”
