Fire Districts Receives Air Monitoring Safety Equipment

Both the Pinion Pine Fire District and Pine Lake Fire District have obtained new 4 gas air monitoring safety equipment. Each fire district has received one 4 gas monitor, and Pinion Pine also obtained a 5 gas monitor. This equipment was obtained from a grant via the "Firefighter Support Foundation" which is a non profit private organization. The grant which was for $4000.00, covered the cost of the air monitors themselves and the equipment needed to calibrate and maintain them. During the grant process, both fire districts worked together to apply as a regional application, so that both agencies would have like equipment in the event of mutual aid responses. As such, Kingman Fire is also in the process of obtaining a grant for like equipment and all three agencies worked together in performing an evaluation of the different air monitors which are on the market today.

Local fire equipment vendor LN Curtis has worked hard on getting the pricing of the equipment to meet the grant limits, and all the agencies will be using the Dräger Model XAM 2500, and XAM 5000 air monitors. This will allow for all three fire departments to have like equipment and be able to assist each other during emergencies or other service calls. This equipment is critical in ensuring that the air which the public or firefighters are operating in is safe and it does so by testing for the following gases or environments: oxygen, methane (explosive limits), carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen cyanide. In-service training from LN Curtis and Dräger has now been completed and these air monitors are now in service and on the fire apparatus today.

Left to right: PNP Batt. Chief Daniel Zandvliet, LN Curtis rep Gary Norton and Tom Larsen, PNP-FF Cameron Udall, PNP-FF/EMT Brain Abraham, PNP-FF David Menjivar, PNP-FF/EMT Zach Oliver and PNL Fire Chief John Sticka.

 Story by Battalion Chief Daniel Zandvliet, Pinion Pine Fire District