All good things come to an end. And the useful life of our fire department’s cardiac monitor/defibrillator and structure turnouts is over.
The department’s Philips HeartStart cardiac monitor is now absolute and replacement parts are no longer available. Newer models are selling from $10-19,000. (A price that could stop a heart) 🙂
The crew’s structure turnouts are also timing out. The fabric gets worn and the fire-resistant chemicals in the fabric expire.
NFPA 1851 specifies that the firefighter protective ensemble or ensemble components must be retired from service no more than 10 years from the date the ensemble or ensemble component was manufactured – the date it was manufactured, not the date it was placed in service.
Funding needed
With two years of canceled fundraising events and the 2021 wildfires changing everyone’s funding needs this summer, little is left for these important emergency assets. The top priority this year has been acquiring a water truck for fire fighting since only 5% of our district has fire hydrants.
To purchase the monitor and turnouts, the Auxiliary has applied for grants to cover some of the costs. The remaining cost will be covered by supporter’s donations. Thank you for helping by donating by check or online.