Chief Burnside told council the department has three full sets of bunker gear scheduled to expire within about 18 months and recommended buying replacements and additional sets for part‑time staff.
“[A] set of bunker gear is roughly $4,500 to 5,000 to cover,” the chief said, and explained that current inspection rules and best practices favor having a second set available to avoid contaminated gear continuing in service. "They were originally gonna make that law here in the state of Texas until almost all of the rural counties said there is no way we can do this," the chief said of a proposed two‑set requirement. He told council the National Fire Protection Association and the Texas Commission on Fire Protection recommend best practices, including additional sets to reduce carcinogen exposure.
Cost and options presented: The chief asked for a $15,000 increase in the fire capital/supply budget to buy six sets (three to replace expiring primary sets and three to provide additional coverage for part‑timers and turnover). After discussion about budget limits, he agreed he could reduce the request and staff noted that five sets would cover the expiring sets plus two part‑timers. Final staff notes recorded during the meeting said the chief would reduce the request to roughly $25,000 for five sets, and council indicated that $25,000 would be more acceptable.
Operational tradeoffs and council concerns: Some council members said the town’s call volume and operational profile do not require two sets of gear per person now and expressed reluctance to buy gear in anticipation of a statewide law. Others emphasized safety and hiring limitations created when applicants cannot be fitted with appropriate gear. The chief explained that, in recent months, contaminated gear or ill‑fitting shared gear has caused operational strain and potential compliance risk during inspections. He said the town operates 48‑hour shifts and sometimes crews remain on duty while gear is awaiting cleaning, increasing exposure risk.
Maintenance and timeline: The chief noted the department has an extractor and washing equipment for gear but not full drying/processing capability; he also noted that non‑destructive annual inspections and periodic third‑party maintenance are standard and would be budgeted. He said that adopting a phased approach to move toward two sets per firefighter would be reasonable but that the immediate priority is replacing expiring primary sets.
Ending: Council asked staff to trim requests where feasible; staff will include the revised bunker‑gear funding request (reduced toward the five‑set option) in the next budget draft and provide inspectors’ maintenance cost estimates and the vendor quotes for purchase and non‑destructive testing; no appropriation was approved at the workshop.