To the editor:
The New Ipswich Fire Department is asking the voters of New Ipswich to vote “yes” on Article 9 on March 10.
In 2005, the New Ipswich Fire Department purchased Self Contained Breathing Apparatus(SCBAs) under the 2002 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard. The NFPA sets minimum standards for all areas of the fire service that are designed to keep both Firefighters and the general public safe. When we purchased our SCBAs in 2005, the estimated lifespan of the new SCBAs was 15 yrs. We are now at the end of this lifespan.
In the last 15 years the hazards for Firefighters have increased making it imperative that they utilize breathing protection on almost every call. Even a call for potential Carbon Monoxide (which we have responded to twice in the last week) requires breathing protection for the safety of the Firefighter.
Because of this, we are requesting money to purchase new SCBAs. New SCBAs will allow all Firefighters responding to calls the breathing protection that they need.
We understand that the cost of replacing SCBAs all at once is a large expense but the improvements and changes to SCBAs over the past 15 years are such that we cannot replace this equipment in phases. However, we take pride in the maintenance program for all of our equipment and expect that these new SCBAs will last us 15 years just like the ones we are replacing.
We have applied for a federal grant to cover the cost of the SCBAs but there is no determination on when or if the grant monies will be awarded. If we are successful with the grant, we have been informed that the money awarded will go to offset the amount approved by the voters under the warrant article. We thank you for your support.
Meredith Lund
Chief,
New Ipswich Fire Department