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Surf City council approves funding plan to finish $571,734 SCBA replacement after grant denial
Summary
The town's fire chief requested $371,734.86 to complete replacement of 30 self-contained breathing apparatus and the compressor/fill station after FEMA grant denial; council gave consensus to move forward citing firefighter safety and imminent price increases.
Chief Alan Wilson (speaker 19) told the council that the fire department needs to replace 30 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBAs), cylinders, rapid intervention packs and the department—ompressor and fill station. The total project cost, he said, is $571,734.86 and the department had $200,000 allocated in the current budget; staff requested the remaining $371,734.86.
Chief Wilson said the request is timely because of an upcoming known price increase on April 1 and ongoing failures of existing SCBA systems. "The SCBA is the single most critical piece of protective equipment issued to firefighters," he said, adding that two additional packs were recently removed from service because repair costs exceeded their value.
Councilmembers asked clarifying questions about the number of sets, unit cost and lifespan. Chief Wilson explained that the full replacement package averages approximately $20,000 per set when masks, regulators, spare bottles, RIP packs and the compressor are included and noted a life expectancy of roughly 10 to 15 years.
Members stressed the importance of not shortchanging firefighters and expressed unanimous support. The council granted consensus to proceed with the requested funding and asked staff to place the necessary budget ordinance amendment on the March consent agenda for formal action.
