By Chris Hagan
Review Staff Writer
The Orion Township Fire Department is preparing to update and upgrade several pieces of equipment in the coming weeks.
First on the list of replacements are the tattered and torn elements of the firefighters? personal protective equipment and second are the acquisition of three command vehicles.
Fire Gear
Referred to in the fire industry as ‘turn-out gear,? the replacement will include 57 new sets of structural firefighting coats and bunker pants, boots, gloves, protective hoods, and helmets.
‘We got approval and have awarded the bid to two different vendors; C&R Fire Equipment and Apollo Fire Equipment,? Fire Chief Robert Smith said.
C&R, based in Hastings,, will provide the department with Globe Manufacturing coats and bunker pants ? a manufacturer the department has been satisfied with in the past. While Romeo-based fire equipment outfitter, Apollo, will supply boots, helmets, gloves, and hoods.
‘Helmets will be by Cairns which is the industry leader in making hard protection,? Smith said. ‘Boots will be by Lion which are a much better boot than we have now. We are purchasing leather boots which fit like a construction boot and have shown to greatly reduce ankle injures because they give superior ankle protection.?
Although firefighting gear is made to withstand temperatures a normal person cannot tolerate, that technology does come with a shelf life. The integration of petroleum products in common household goods (couches, carpets, drapery, etc) has increased the temperature of fires and the harmful byproducts it produces in the smoke.
‘The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) states that firefighter ensembles shall be retired after 10 years,? Smith said. ‘Although we have gear and helmets that may look good, they [NFPA] have data showing the material fabric will break down from the extreme heat we encounter and helmets that no longer give maximum protection.?
The total cost of everything for the 57 complete sets of turn out gear is $117,000.
Command Vehicles
Also being purchased are three General Motors products that will be replacing existing command officer vehicles.
The vehicles will be a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe and two 2015 GMC Sierra crew cab pick-up trucks.
The use of the Tahoe-type SUV is a standard throughout the nation in regards to fire department command level personnel and has been a staple in Orion for decades.
‘Orion Township has had this type of vehicle for the last 30 years but we retired the last one three years ago and did not have enough in the budget to purchase another one,? Smith said. ‘A command officer must be able to separate themselves from the actual action, so the SUV-type vehicle has long been the choice to accomplish this.?
According to Smith, command vehicles must carry pre-incidents plans for commercial buildings, be equipped with several radios, carry extra communication equipment and computers in order to effectively handle the escalating elements of an emergency scene.
Two of the vehicles being retired are two, two-door 1996 pick-up trucks that cannot effectively accommodate the space needed to run an emergency operation.
The use of the new, 2015 4-door model will allow the assistant chiefs and command officers to assist in fire ground operations while having the ability to transport dirty and bulky equipment to and from the scene.
Total cost for the three command vehicles is $86,000.