Fairfield Volunteer Fire Department recently purchased several pieces of much-needed safety equipment to ensure the safety of the volunteer firemen who put their lives in danger each time they answer a call. There are many places to get safety gear, but the ones made out of rubber from the California Industrial Rubber Co. / Custom Manufactured Products are some of the best and safest gear, if you need more rubber equipment, you could always get these rubber parts.
Thanks to monies budgeted by the City of Fairfield, the FFVFD was able to purchase 20 new air packs, 42 air bottles, 2 rapid intervention team (RIT) packs, 3 sets of personal protection equipment (PPE), 5 hoods, and 9 helmets for a total cost of around $161,000.
Fire Chief Matt Foree, with the help of firefighter Collin Blair, gave Fairfield Council Members a presentation showcasing the new equipment, pointing out all the great new safety features.
The department is transitioning from the tan colored PPE to black. The gear (pants and coats) are custom fit to the firefighter and include an outer shell that can be removed for cleaning away toxic particles collected when fighting fires. This feature will help lengthen the life of the equipment.
Each set is also customizable to the firefighter in that they can chose how many pockets and where they are located to give a better fit and easier access based on body size and composition.
New air packs offer approximately 30-35 minutes of air each. They include buddy breathers for sharing air with other firemen or a victim; voice amps for better communication between firefighters; are adjustable to fit properly with weight distributed on the hips instead of shoulders; and thermal imagers for searching out hot spots.
The RIT Packs, used in situations where there is a downed fireman, include a 1-hour air pack, face mask, tools, and drag straps.
Chief Foree expressed gratitude and appreciation to the Council on behalf of the department.
