Huron fire receives grant for new equipment

HURON — Huron will replace firefighters' aging breathing equipment with new models following the approval of a federal grant worth almost $147,000.Huron fire relies on Self-contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) — the mask, oxygen tanks and harness firefighters wear — when responding to fire calls."SCBAs are a critical piece of safety equipment for our firefighters that mitigate risk while breathing during fire-related events," Huron city manager Andy White said.But the Huron Fire Department's equipment is outdated — most of the units are almost two decades old — and nearing the end of its lifespan.The department only needs enough tanks and harnesses to cover the firefighters on duty at the time, but they'd need a face mask for all 33 firefighters since they're molded to the user's face."The maintenance on them was just getting too high," Huron fire Captain Mike Hohler said. "We've been looking at how we were going to replace the units and absorb the cost."After three years of trying to get federal help to replace the equipment, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security agreed to cover 95 percent of the cost through its Assistance to Firefighters Grant program."This grant made it possible to replace the entire department's system at one time, rather than purchasing it over a number years within existing budgetary resources," White said.The grant will assist in the purchase of 21 units — mask, harness/backpack and two tanks — and an additional 12 face masks for a total cost of $154,320. The federal government will cover about $146,971 of the cost and the city will pay the remaining amount of roughly $7,349.Last week, the Huron city council unanimously voted in favor of a resolution to accept the grant. White said the department should receive the new equipment by early 2020."It's just a wonderful opportunity for us and it's come at a really good time," Hohler said.Reach reporter Michael Harrington at michaelharrington@sanduskyregister.com, follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterA Huron firefighter wearing his Self-contained Breathing Apparatus (SBCA) while trying to extinguish a house fire in March 2018 fire at Lakefield Manor.