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Narrows council hears update on firefighter gear replacement after contamination; insurance to cover new sets
Summary
Officials said six turnout sets were contaminated in a house fire and will be destroyed; the town's insurance will replace gear, and six new SCBAs and turnout sets are expected within a month to restore county compliance.
Narrows officials told the council on Jan. 13 that a recent house fire contaminated six firefighters’ gear, requiring replacement and temporarily reducing the department’s available SCBA sets.
A fire official described the incident and the town’s response: "We ended up purchasing six of them ... with money that we had saved up for a rainy day," he said, describing an interim purchase and the insurance arrangements. Officials said a separate insurance policy covering gear and equipment will pay for six new sets and related equipment; staff expected delivery within about a month to return the department to county compliance.
Council members said the insurance policy proved valuable after the incident. The fire official said the contaminated units would be destroyed rather than refurbished and that the department expects to have full equipment back in service by the end of the next month.
The council also used the meeting to thank the fire department for rapid response in a separate residential fire earlier in the month and to recognize the department’s contribution to the town’s holiday toy program.
Next steps: staff and the fire department will finalize orders and report back when replacement gear arrives.
