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All four fire departments within Woodlands County either have received or soon will receive new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) equipment to protect them against smoke and other airborne contamination.
Earlier this year, Woodlands County issued a request for quotes to replace their current "fleet” of SCBA units, which the Woodlands County fire services committee had identified in 2018 as needing to be replaced.
There were two reasons why the equipment needed to be replaced: the current units could no longer be repaired due to a lack of parts and they no longer met standards put out by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
During their April 20 meeting, county councillors voted 5-1 to award a tender to Brogan Safety Supplies at a cost of $345,270.97 plus GST. (Coun. Bruce Prestidge abstained from the vote as he works for the company.)
A news release put out on July 26 by Woodlands County indicated the new SCBA units were set to arrive in the next few days.
In the release, Brogan Safety branch manager Marc Chayer said local firefighters now have access to breathing apparatus equipment that is second to none.
“We had made a commitment to upgrade the equipment for our firefighters,” added Woodlands County mayor John Burrows.
“In doing so, we are able to make the bid public through our Chamber of Commerce and include value-added components to the bid that will see the county recoup its investment through training and services from the vendor. This is a win-win for all involved.”
