If you’ve ever seen worn out fire gear, the turnout coat and pants – if tan – often look smeared black and greasy, like they need a good long cleaning. But the dirty duds are fire and heat seared, not dirty nor even washable. With a recommended lifespan of 10 years, much of Sloatsburg’s fire turnout gear has been burned in the field during use over the years. Some coats and pants don’t fit correctly and some should just be retired. And the problem is, the Sloatsburg Fire Department has a lot of them.
This past week, the Sloatsburg Village Board convened a workshop with the fire department, another in a series of on-going workshops, to discuss age, condition and cost replacement issues related to department gear and equipment. Mayor Carl Wright invited attendees to form a circle so everyone could see each other and get down to the business of finding a solution. The fire department passed out a a thick stack of itemized quotes and equipment expenses, bringing to life the hard costs of maintaining a top rated department.
Second Assistant Fire Chief Christopher Morse jumped right in, articulating the problem the department faces. “Our gear is limiting our response,” said Morse. “At the end of this year, all our gear is going to be condemned. We’re basically pleading — we need this equipment. We need help.” The department currently has approximately 70 sets of turnout gear, with only 33 sets in full service. By 2013, the department will be down to 11 sets of useable gear that comply with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.
The workshop included Village Trustees, the fire department’s First Chief Joseph Vega, along with Morse, department President Joseph Hardiman and Trustee and Board of Governors’ member Thomas Buckey. Buckey is a former chief of the department as well. Also in attendance were Rockland County Legislator Doug Jobson, R-Stony Point, Carmen Dublaldi, legislative coordinator for Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt, R-Greenwood Lake, and Andrew Jennings, district representative for State Senator David Carlucci, D-Clarkstown.
Assorted funding options were discussed, including grants, bonds, cost cuts, and field expense reductions, such as taking inoperable fire hydrants, or hydrants that don’t meet the department’s needs, out of commission. The department pays United Water $800 per hydrant a year for maintenance costs, a controversial fee within the department and village government given the condition and functionality of village hydrants.
The Village Board was in unanimous agreement that the department turnout gear needs replaced. But at $3000 per set, the replacement cost would be an unbudgeted expense. And that cost doesn’t include new respirator equipment or truck equipment. Respirator systems cost nearly $5,000 per fireman, with SCBA (self contained breathing apparatus) face pieces and tanks adding another $1,000 apiece.
“We’re not here to be a pain,” said Hardiman, who serves as a department civil officer. “We’re here to discharge our duty.”
At the heart of the issue is a cycle or schedule of gear and equipment replacement versus the department’s workload. Turnout gear has a 10 year recommended lifespan. Trucks, firefighting and rescue equipment have different life cycles, with trucks, the biggest ticket items at nearly $500,000 plus to replace, at a 10 year lifespan. In past years, the department had a seven year staggered truck replacement policy in place that included turnout gear but, due to complex issues related to funding, department management, equipment replacement and other variables, the replacement cycle has gotten out of sync.
Although the Sloatsburg Fire Department is a small village department, with the New York Thruway cutting close, the department’s accident and event response load is for a department four to five times its size. Sloatsburg is a first responder for the Thruway. The department officers brought this fact vividly home, recounting a recent response where a bus driver rear-ended a tractor trail rig. “We were confronted by the limitations of our gear when one of our cutters couldn’t cut through the bus hinge,” said Morse. The department’s mighty Jaws of Life failed and mutual aid from Tuxedo’s fire department saved the day. New car construction technology requires new blades and stronger metal, otherwise, new car model bodies just shred when trying to be pried open with outmoded cutters.
Hardiman said the Sloatsburg fire department used to receive funds from Rockland County to offset Thruway response costs, but that money has disappeared in recent years. The county currently faces an $80 million deficit and this past week announced staff layoffs.
Mayor Wright said that what needs to be done is “to make sure that the fireman is equipped with appropriate gear to protect himself and better able to fight the fire.”
“The important thing is that we move on,” said Mayor Wright. “There’s no villain here, nothing other than just the course of time. Time puts you in a particular situation.You try to get the most out of your equipment, and that’s a good thing. But there comes a point when you just can’t do it anymore.”
The workshop ended on a determined note to address the turnout gear issue as soon as feasible. Mayor Wright recommended the village investigate a bond to cover 30 new sets of basic gear immediatley. Turnout gear typically includes coat, pants, gloves, and helmet. “The real key is the money,” said Trustee Peter Akey. “If we can work it out, we could have the equipment by June.”
