CBRM to lease new breathing gear for career, volunteer firefighters
Glace Bay fire chief says it's scary because some volunteers are using outdated or expired equipment
Firefighters in Cape Breton Regional Municipality will be breathing easier in the new year.
CBRM council has approved a plan to get full-time employees in Sydney, N.S., and volunteers in former town and rural fire departments new air tanks and equipment to make it safer for those who need oxygen on the job.
Some volunteer firefighters are working with outdated or expired breathing apparatuses, said Mark Bettens, CBRM's director of fire and emergency services.
"Especially in Glace Bay's case, it was dire," he said. "The equipment is old. Some members of the department are younger than the gear that they're using."
Bettens said rural departments buy their own gear and often choose different makes or models, which can be a problem when they routinely respond to each other's calls for backup.
"When all of those departments come on scene, we need them to be able to have the interoperability so they're all using the same type of equipment," he said.
"By using that same type of equipment, they have a buddy system that ... if a firefighter gets in trouble, they'll be able to go in and they'll be able to share air."
CBRM's fire service consists of a full-time career service based in Sydney, N.S., with 32 volunteer-run departments in Glace Bay, New Waterford, North Sydney, Sydney Mines and rural communities in the former county area.
On Tuesday, council voted to approve Bettens's plan to lease all new gear and distribute it to both career and volunteer firefighters.
The deal will add about $150,000 more every year to the fire department's budget, but it includes regular safety certifications that currently cost extra.
Bettens said it'll save CBRM money in the long run.
John Chant, Glace Bay's fire chief, said he welcomes the move.
"It's scary when I send a firefighter in now knowing that there's a possibility that you could have a major equipment failure," he said.
"It's very dangerous and standing out on the street and telling them to go do that job, it puts a big, heavy weight on my shoulders and all my officers are feeling the same way."
Bettens said CBRM expects to start supplying firefighters with new gear a few weeks after the lease is signed by administration.
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