The German Township Volunteer Fire Department in Taylorsville was awarded a $104,000 grant for firefighter safety equipment. Deputy Chief Matt Lynch explains that the grant was from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to Firefighter Grant program. He says that German Township had to pay a five-percent match, totaling $4,952. That money came from the department’s cumulative fund, says Lynch.

Deputy Chief Lynch says that the grant replaced all of the department’s Self Contained Breathing Apparatus, which were nearing the end of their service life. In addition, the department purchased two firefighter rescue systems, which are designed to assist a firefighter who may be trapped in a building and running out of air in their SCBA. Lynch says that if a firefighter becomes trapped, the rescue firefighters would take one of the rescue systems in and plug it into the downed firefighter’s air bottle. He explains that this will allow the firefighter to continue to be able to breathe fresh air during a rescue attempt. The department also purchased a firefighter tracking device. Lynch says the instrument will alert fire crews if a firefighter stops moving or is in duress as they work inside of a building.

“With this added equipment, our firefighters can better serve our community in a safer, more effective manner. We can minimize the time we are searching for possible victims which decreases the amount of time our firefighters are working in dangerous environments,” says Chief Robert Drake

Deputy Chief Lynch says that, in addition to grant money spent, German Township also bought two thermal imaging cameras by using an additional $8,000 from the cumulative fund. He says that these cameras allow firefighters to see through smoke and darkness.