Two new grants will help the Baxter Fire Department upgrade its turnout equipment.
Baxter Fire Chief Matthew White said the rise in volunteers played a key role in seeking the grants. With more volunteers, White said additional gear is needed to ensure they are prepared for real-life situations.
“Most everything has like a ten-year life on it, they want you to try and replace it,” White said. “They figure if the wear and tear the conditions that it’s been exposed to over the last years or few years are starting to deteriorate the material to a safety level that we need to try and look at replacing it.”
White said the total of both grants is ballpark around $30,000. White said the Public Entity Partners is a fifty-fifty split between the cost. White said the State is supplying them with five sets of turnout gear along with gloves and other protective functions.
“There not a lot of extra extras on there, we put some extra knee padding and maybe an extra pocket on it,” White said. “But it’s pretty much standard of what anybody would get.”
White said volunteers must have the proper gear before attending training.
“We did an introductory class for a lot of new firefighters and brought them in and started them in basic training and took them to a basic firefighting school,” White said. “Alot of them stick around the department and that’s what we want them to do.”
White said said the department is grateful but is growing at a fast rate.
“Our department is growing in size, in call volume, which is a great thing,” White said. “For us to be able to help provide not only our paid people but our volunteers also help to make sure were providing the best services out there for the citizens of Baxter.”
