SPRING LAKE — The mayor and council introduced an ordinance last week that would appropriate $450,000 for new firefighter equipment.
According to the ordinance, the equipment being acquired “includes but is not limited to” air packs and new cascade system.
Air packs, also known as Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus [SCBA], are portable air tanks with regulators which allow firefighters to breathe while in toxic smoke conditions. Usually rated for 30 minutes of service, the masks are used primarily on fires involving structures or hazardous materials, according to the National Wildlife Coordination Group. The air packs can each cost between $3,000 and $11,000, depending on the model.
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A cascade system is responsible for refilling the bottles of the self-contained breathing units worn by the firefighters. Cascade systems typically are mounted on the side of fire trucks and other emergency vehicles. Prices for cascade systems can range from $2,000 to $10,000, depending on the amount of tanks and amenities purchased.
The appropriated money will not only be going towards the devices themselves, but also “related costs and expenditures necessary therefore and incidental thereto,” according to the ordinance.
According to Mayor Jennifer Naughton, there have been many discussions with both of Spring Lake’s fire departments, Spring Lake Fire Company No. 1 and Goodwill Fire Company No. 2, discussing the purchases.
“This is stuff that two fire chiefs have been asking for, and it got kicked down, and it got kicked down,” said Borough Administrator Brian Dempsey. “Finally, it got to the point where it’s just their [air] packs and their cascade system and radios… and it’s something that we’ll put in place.”
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