Goldsboro Fire Department hopes to get federal dollars
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on September 15, 2017 5:50 AM
Goldsboro firefighters could be suited up with smaller, more mobile pressurized air packs pending a federal grant application.
The Goldsboro Fire Department plans to apply for a $229,940 Assistance to Firefighters Grant that would replace the department's 32 older-model air packs and a 30-year-old air compressor.
Fire Chief Gary Whaley received the green light from the Goldsboro City Council, during a recent work session, to apply for the grant that includes a 50 percent, $122,260, city match.
The department plans to hire an outside grant writer, for $750, who has a track record of success in obtaining the federal grants.
Whaley said the Goldsboro Fire Department, which includes 81 paid firefighters, typically has a difficult time receiving the federal grants, which often are awarded to volunteer fire departments or others in larger North Carolina cities.
"We have applied for the assistance firefighter grant every year it's been out," without success, Whaley told council.
The grant would allow the department to purchase newer-model air cylinders pressurized to 4,500 pounds per square inch. The 32 bottles would replace older 2216 psi tanks, including some that were made in 1998 and 2000, said Lisa Johnson, Goldsboro Fire Department assistant fire chief.
The newer air tanks will continue to provide the same amount of oxygen, an approximate 30-minute supply, but the smaller, lighter size will offer firefighters more mobility when responding to emergency situations, Johnson said.
"We're trying to upgrade because the ones we're using are aged," Whaley said. "It will assist us greatly, if we're able to acquire that grant and change the system completely over."
The department will need to replace the older air tanks eventually, if the department fails to secure the grant, Whaley said.
The fire department has 52 air tanks, and the city budget this year included the purchase of 12 of the newer 4500 psi models, Whaley said.
The grant will allow the department to replace nearly all of its older tanks. A new air compressor, estimated to cost $47,700 as part of the grant application, will allow for faster refilling capacity and be more compatible with the newer air tanks, Johnson said.
The grant award may be announced in December, Whaley said.