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Firefighters sport new gear
By REBECCA CRUSE
Capital
Journal Staff
Published/Last Modified on Thursday, Nov 29, 2007 - 06:05:24 am CST
PIERRE — All 60 of Pierre’s firefighters will soon be sporting new bunker gear,
provided with funds from a $100,000 grant the Pierre Fire Department received
earlier this year.
Just 5 percent of the grant had to be paid locally, while 95 percent came from
the federal government.
Since the rural fire department uses some of the city’s equipment and manpower
at times, officials decided to chip in a share for the new gear — $1,500. The
city, which provides funding for the PFD, then paid the remaining $3,500, and as
a result, all firefighters will have new gear and the department will even have
money left to purchase some extra bunker gear for future firefighters, according
to fire chief Bill Alexander.
Rebecca Cruse | Capital Journal
Firefighters are currently being fitted, and Alexander hopes that process can be
completed by mid-December. After the gear is ordered, it will take about 60 days
for it to arrive, so by March, firefighters will likely be showing up at area
fires in their first new pants and coats in about 15 years.
Most of the current bunker gear firefighters wear was purchased in the mid- to
late 1990s, Alexander said, and it is generally expected to last about seven to
10 years, depending upon how busy the fire department is.
Some of the gear the department currently has is only about five years old, but
many times firefighters mix and match pants and coats of different brands
because the size isn’t right or they are in bad condition. According to
Alexander, that is not supposed to happen.
“Now, everyone will have the right sizes and everything will fit, and we’ll be
able to use the extra sets — like if we have a really tall guy — to make sure it
fits,” Alexander said.
And Pierre firefighters aren’t the only ones who will benefit from the big
purchase. The bunker gear the department currently uses will be donated to
smaller departments, in nearby communities, that don’t have the means to
purchase new equipment.
“The stuff that is trashed, we’ll just get rid of, but if it can still be used,
we’ll pass it along to whoever needs it,” Alexander said. “Even if it’s not the
greatest, it’s still better than what they have now — which in some cases is
nothing.”
The new sets of Janesville brand gear produced by Lion Apparel cost $1,500
apiece, and the department is ordering 67 sets through Heiman Fire Equipment
Inc.
A committee was formed to research the purchase of new gear after the department
received the grant. Four companies sent quotes for various brands of bunker
gear, and department members made the decision based on prices and quality,
Alexander said.
Story by: REBECCA CRUSE
Capital Journal, Pierre, SD
www.capitaljournal.com
For more information about the
Pierre Fire
Department, e-mail the PFD
webmaster.
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