Firefighters consider their air packs their lifeline when they are at a fire or when they are at an event dealing with hazardous materials, said Hopkinsville Fire Department Deputy Chief Eric Bleidt.

“They give us fresh air in environments where fresh air isn’t possible,” he said.

Unfortunately, the 9-year-old air packs that the fire department owns are becoming costly since they are constantly undergoing repairs, Bleidt said.

So, when the fire department recently received a $200,000 grant for safety equipment, they didn’t have to think long about at least one of the things they would use the money for.

“(Air packs) are like our best friend,” Bleidt said. “Getting a whole new fleet of air packs is huge for us.”

Congressman Ed Whitfield presented Chief Fagan Pace Jr., with the check Saturday at the fire station on West First Street. The money included a federal grant and 10-percent matching grant from the City of Hopkinsville.

The department applied for the assistance nearly a year ago.

The grant, “Assistance to Firefighters Grant,” is part of a federal initiative to meet the needs of firefighting and emergency response teams. Since the 2001 beginning of the grant, a program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, more than $2.4 billion has been awarded to fire departments across the country, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Along with the 30 new air packs, the department will also use the money to buy 60 new air cylinders, which each hold 45 minutes’ worth of air, 80 new air masks and a new breathing air compressor, Bleidt said.

“This grant will provide the department with new safety equipment for the next 10 years,” he said.

As soon as the bids for the equipment come in, the department will purchase the equipment, Bleidt said.

“It’s really big for us,” Bleidt said. “Two hundred thousand dollars is a huge capital expenditure for us. We’re getting $200,000 worth of safety equipment for less than a $20,000 investment from the taxpayers of Hopkinsville.”

Source:
KY New Era, November 6, 2007
By Julia Hunter, New Era Staff Writer