Yaakov Gottlieb Photo
Chief Alston leads firefighters in demonstration.
With a smoking concrete training building as a backdrop, officials Wednesday announced that the city has been awarded nearly $1 million in federal grants for the New Haven Fire Department.
Mayor Justin Elicker, U.S. Rep Rosa DeLauro, and Fire Chief John Alston were among the officials at the announcement, held at the department’s training academy off Ella Grasso Boulevard.
“Our existing devices are nearly 10 years old, so this allows us to give our firefighters new technology to keep them safe while fighting fires and to keep us safe,” said Elicker.
In total, the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (ASG) funds, administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), amount to $920,400. The money will provide for 109 self-contained breathing apparatuses, 365 face masks, and one primary high-pressure breathing compressor system.
“We need to make sure that our firefighters have the best possible equipment to protect them and to protect us. Our first responders perform under immense pressure, that has never been more true than in the last several months. They are life and death situations. They serve on the front lines,” said DeLauro. “Our job is to give [the firefighters] what you need to get back home to your families,”
Chief Alston said the new equipment will increase firefighters’ safety and help them better fight fires.
“We are excited and very happy to get this grant to be able to move us into the next generation of self-contained breathing apparatus,” said Chief Alston.
The new packs come with multiple fail-safes to alert the firefighter when their air is running low. These features include a vibration in the mask that serves as a physical warning in case the situation is too loud to hear the additional shrill beat that indicates low air.
The new technology means firefighters have more time to work with.
“These packs more than double the time you can stay in a fire,” said Chief Alston.
Emergency chief Rick Fontana, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Assistant Fire Chief Mark Vendetto, Mayor Justin Elicker, and Fire Chief John Alston Jr. at Wednesday’s announcement.
According to Assistant Chief of Operations Mark Vendetto, the packs also come with better communication abilities than the older ones. With better radio and communications equipment, firefighters will be able to work together faster.
In a demonstration to show the breathing equipment, Chief Alston led two other firefighters into a training building filled with smoke. The inside was pitch black, a “theatrical” smoke leaking out of windows and cracks. Alston frequently participates in these kinds of drills to teach about the new technology.
“I started back in 1985 when we were wearing steel packs. Now they are made of carbon fiber,” said Chief Alston.
According to Emergency Operations Director Rick Fontana, without this grant, the department would not have been able to afford this equipment.
“ASG saved us, without them, we wouldn’t get the equipment. The city doesn’t have the money,” said Fontana.
This is the fourth year that the New Haven Fire Department has received such a grant which continues to fund much-needed equipment.
It's wonderful that the fire department got the grant for updated essential equipment. The funds for this should be built into the fire department budget. Technological equipment are being constantly improved, and firefighters should be guaranteed the most up to date, top of the line firefighting equipment as a regular expectation.