By David Fleet
Editor
Atlas Twp.— On July 24, the township board of trustees voted 4-0 to OK a purchase of 20 Drager brand Self-contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), used by firefighters to provide breathable air when entering a hazardous environment, such as a structure fire. The cost is $155,697. Township Clerk Katie Vick was absent with notice.
The current SCBA’s are antiquated and past their expiration dates.
“The bottles are lighter and smaller,” said Ed Klimek, assistant fire chief.
Also, if the firefighter is working hard in a fire, that amount of time is reduced even more, he said.
In addition, the cylinders will be upgraded to 4,500 psi from the current 2,216 psi. The larger capacity tanks will allow firefighters to stay engaged from the current approximately 14 minutes to 30 minutes.
“It only makes sense to upgrade the piece of equipment that we rely on the most to protect our lives and potentially save someone else’s,” said Chief Steve Bullen
The new equipment includes a high-pressure cylinder, a pressure regulator, and an inhalation connection along with a carrying harness
The fire department requested bids from Drager, Scott MSA and Avon. Drager and Scott have responded with qualified quotes as well as demonstrations.
The cost of Drager came in $19,498 less than the Scott packs. The department will also upgrade the cascade system to fill the bottles, the cost of the new compressor will be $36,855.