Local districts received hundreds of new innovative equipment items.
A piercing alarm reverberated throughout the Chews Landing Fire Department’s colossal garage.
Although the source of the sound was simply a handheld device, that noise is intended to save many lives.
This state-of-the-art gadget, known as the Pak Tracker wand, is just one of the hundreds of pieces of new equipment Chews Landing, along with six other local districts, recently received through a nearly $1.2 million FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant.
Along with the wands, the departments were given 204 self-contained breathing apparatuses, 408 air cylinders and 352 air masks.
“Our air packs were coming up on 10 years old, which may not sound like a whole lot of time, but for life-saving equipment, that’s a long time,” said Bill Robb, Chews Landing’s administrator. “We recognized the need to replace them.”
This initial realization can be traced back to fall 2015 when the department decided to apply for the grant.
While there are a few types of FEMA AFG versions, Chews Landing specifically applied for the regional application, which entails a partnership with neighboring departments.
In 2015, Chews Landing attended a seminar hosted by Congressman Donald Norcross. At the meeting, the department learned FEMA tends to favor regional grants, because they affect the most people.
“When we came out of that meeting, that kind of planted the seed for us to start talking to our neighboring companies,” Robb said. “Several of them were in the same position we were with needing air packs and not having the money to do it.”
Fusing forces with local districts, Chews Landing initially applied for the grant in January 2016, but did not receive the funds.
However, the departments were undeterred, as in September 2016 Chews Landing, along with Gloucester Township Fire Districts Nos. 4, 5, 6, Pine Hill Fire Department, Lindenwold Fire Department and Deptford Fire Departments united to re-apply for the FEMA grant. Together, these departments serve nearly 123,000 South Jerseyans, according to Robb.
In September 2017, the department found out it was chosen for this nationwide competitive grant.
The departments had to put down about $220,000, or about 15 percent of the purchase cost.
“It was a little more, percentage wise, but in actual dollars, it stayed within our budget,” Robb said. “So, it was kind of a win-win.”
The new equipment meets National Fire Protection Association codes and standards.
The new self-contained breathing apparatuses, or Scott X3 4.5 SCBAs, warn firefighters when there is 33 percent of air left in their cylinders, as previously this system sent a warning at around 25 percent.
“If you ask anybody in the fire service what is the most critical equipment, it’s the air packs. It’s literally what separates them from life or death,” Robb said.
The new headgear, Scott AV3 HT masks, can withstand higher temperatures. Robb noted studies have shown masks splitting open in extreme temperature.
“In the newer masks, they’ve reengineered the plastics,” he said.
Chews Landing firefighters say one of the most innovative new items is the Pak Tracker.
These wands, which electrically correspond with SCBAs, transmit electronic signals, serving as a “directional finder,” as described by Robb. The Pak Trackers can’t actually locate a fallen firefighter but, if you point the device in a certain direction, it’ll give a stronger signal.
Each department received one wand.
“(The Pak Tracker) gives us some peace of mind,” said Nick Ritz, a Chews Landing firefighter. “It really is a great piece of equipment.”
The device will activate after a firefighter is motionless for a certain number of seconds. First, if a firefighter is motionless for 10 seconds, there will be a pre-alarm. After 30 seconds, firefighters will be notified if a firefighter is potentially unconscious.
“The wand helps isolate the location of the down firefighter,” said Rick Knight, a Chews Landing firefighter. “It’s definitely futuristic and makes our jobs easier and safer.”
