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Committee OKs $870,340 in SCBA contracts so Norwalk firefighters meet 2024 NFPA rules
Summary
Norwalk’s Public Safety and General Government Committee authorized the mayor to sign two contracts totaling $870,340 to replace regulators, face pieces and harnesses for firefighters' self-contained breathing apparatus to comply with 2024 NFPA standards; the committee voted unanimously.
Norwalk City’s Public Safety and General Government Committee on June 26 authorized the mayor to execute two contracts totaling $870,340 to replace regulators, face pieces and harnesses on the fire department’s self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
The measure combines two vendor contracts: $247,690 for SCBA face pieces and regulators and $622,650 for SCBA harnesses. Councilperson Josh Goldstein moved the item and the committee approved it unanimously.
The replacements are intended to bring Norwalk’s SCBA into compliance with the 2024 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, committee members heard. “Firefighters’ SCBA is comprised of four main components. You have the air bottle, which holds compressed air. You have the harness, and then the regulator and the face piece,” Deputy Chief McKay said during the discussion. McKay said the $247,690 request covers regulators and face pieces and that the harnesses are the subject of the separate $622,650 contract.
McKay told the committee the NFPA “will not allow new components to be retrofitted with older components,” and that the department therefore must acquire all components to bring units into compliance rather than buying some parts to retrofit existing packs.
Committee members were also told that the department purchased replacement air bottles last year using ARPA funds; those bottles remain in storage sealed and ready to be combined with the new regulators, face pieces and harnesses once installed. “We bought as you see in your notes, we purchased the air bottles last year through ARPA funds. We’ve got those in storage right now,” McKay said.
Members asked follow-up operational questions, including about the department’s marine apparatus. Councilmember James Freyer asked about the new fire boat’s arrival; McKay said the boat “is beginning to be shipped, and it may be in as the beginning of next week.”
The committee accepted both fire department items together and confirmed the approvals will be forwarded to the Common Council as moved at the meeting.
The discussion distinguished between committee-level authorization and subsequent administrative steps: the committee voted to authorize the mayor to execute the contracts; purchase and installation remain implementation tasks for fire department staff and the purchasing office.
