Last summer, fire department officials were concerned an influx of new volunteers would lack the equipment and gear needed to start responding to calls.
This month, the Board of Aldermen answered the department’s call for more funding.
The board last week approved spending $172,000 on new gear for the department.
Chief Francis T. Jones, in a letter to the board, said the funding was necessary because of two factors: the department has recently had an influx of new volunteers and the gear for current members was deteriorating below appropriate safety levels.
“This influx of membership, while beneficial, has sped up the need for personal protective equipment,” Jones wrote.
The department has about 250 volunteers, according to Assistant Chief Nick Verdicchio.
Verdicchio said the new volunteers are completing training and will soon need gear to start actively volunteering. He did not have an exact count on how many new volunteers there were, but last summer when the department expressed its concerns about gear, there were about 25 new volunteers.
The other members have been using worn-out gear that needs replacing.
Among the gear to be purchased:
- 75 sets of fire coats and bunker pants
- 75 pairs of leather boots
- 50 helmets
- 125 pairs of gloves
- 50 pairs of rubber boots
- 125 fire hoods
- 50 helmet shields
