JACKSON, MI -- Old firefighting equipment could find a new home, and new purpose, due to a donation between departments.
The donation of about 20 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) units from the Jackson Fire Department to the Dundee Township Fire Department was approved by the Jackson City Council during a March 8 meeting.
JFD recently received new SCBA equipment through a federal grant, according to a resolution brought before council. The receipt of the new equipment renders the previously-used SCBAs -- which had been used by the department since 2010 -- unusable, said Jackson Fire Chief David Wooden.
“(JFD) had used the now obsolete SCBAs for many years and they were beginning to deteriorate,” stated a report to the council by Jackson Director Police and Fire Services Director Elmer Hitt.
The older SCBA would assist in the creation of a fire cadet program within Dundee Township Fire, Wooden said. The prospective program is the planned result of a partnership between Dundee Township Fire and Dundee High School.
“The goal is to give kids credit for school, enable them to get their state certificates and be able to test for a medical license and then join the ranks of a fire department upon graduation,” stated a letter to JFD from Dundee Township Fire Assistant Chief Rob Justice.
Given their age, and the fact they were obtained through a federal grant, the SCBA packs have no market value and could not be sold to another department, Wooden said.
“Because they’re past date, they’re basically training aids,” said Jackson Assistant Fire Chief Tim Gonzales.
The units include masks and air tanks, and would be used to familiarize cadets with firefighting equipment, Gonzales said. They would not be used in active fire scenarios.
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