Killeen Fire Department staff told the City Council on Jan. 6 that a set of budgeted procurements is intended to replace aging protective equipment and upgrade on-scene air-refill capacity.

Fire department presenters said turnout gear replacement would cost $234,652 for 46 complete sets, with additional helmets, boots and hoods budgeted as high-wear spares. Routine cleaning and inspection services for structural turnout ensembles were presented as a separate budgeted contract for $106,407.90, conforming to NFPA standards for cleaning twice annually and at least one inspection per year.

The largest item was a proposed purchase of 165 SCBA systems, which staff priced at roughly $3.012 million. The department convened a committee of firefighters and officers to evaluate major manufacturers (MSA, Dräger, Scott Safety) and recommended the Scott x3 Pro model for its proven design, dual-redundant safety feature, lifetime bumper-to-bumper warranty and expected 10-year life expectancy. Staff said the Scott units are expected to ship within 90 days and that selection emphasized user comfort, reliability and delivery timelines.

To support large-scale incidents and rapid refilling, staff also recommended acquiring a mobile air compressor trailer with cascade fill stations, CO monitor, hose reels and climate-controlled fill capability. The trailer cost was disclosed as $222,639.90. The department explained that a trailer-mounted refill capability reduces the need for fire engines to leave scenes to refill air bottles and supports confined-space and extended-duration operations.

Council members asked operational questions about fill-station ports and hose reel capacity. The chief said the trailer provides three positions to fill bottles and two primary hoses on the pictured setup, with the option to split flows (a ‘Y’) if needed.

All fire department procurement items were included in the consent agenda and approved by council. Staff said the purchases were budgeted through a recently issued certificate of obligation and fit within approved amounts.

The council’s acceptance clears the way for contract execution and equipment delivery; staff said they are available to answer implementation and delivery-timing questions during the procurement process.