BY PAUL KAMPE
Clarkston News Staff Writer
The Springfield Township Fire Department will be getting some new clothes right around the time school is back in swing.
The township board approved a bid for five sets of new gear from Douglass Safety Systems L.L.C. for $1,052 per suit, or roughly $5,200. The turnout gear includes new coats and pants.
The other bids received by the department were pretty close in price, the nearest was Time Emergency Equipment for a cost of $1,065 per suit, or $5,325 for five sets.
Chief Charles Oaks said that the department is lucky if the equipment lasts four or five years out of its gear. Oaks said that the gear gets ripped through everyday wear and tear in emergency situations.
He gives the clothing an annual inspection, and last month, five sets failed.
‘It can mean the difference between life and death,? Oaks said.
The gear should be delivered in two months or so, the chief said.