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Commission approves SAFER-funded bunker-gear purchases and a brush-truck skid unit with local match
Summary
The commission approved purchase orders for structural firefighting protective gear tied to a FEMA SAFER grant (10 sets under grant plus an additional eight sets) and authorized a locally built skid unit funded by a Department of Interior grant with the county's net cost reported as about $1,800 after reimbursement.
County officials and fire department representatives briefed the commission on multiple fire-equipment purchases funded in part by federal grants.
Darren Myers described a SAFER grant administered through the Kansas State Firefighters Association and FEMA that reimburses roughly $3,750 per firefighter for turnout gear for up to 10 firefighters; the grant requires NFPA-compliant gear and an NFPA 1582-equivalent physical for each firefighter. The county’s plan is to pay for the NFPA-equivalent physicals (about $800 per person) and seek reimbursement under the grant; officials said reimbursement would cover the majority of the cost and leave the county with a modest outlay.
The commission approved POs for 10 grant-funded sets and another PO for an additional eight sets to address an ongoing replacement backlog caused by rising gear costs. The county noted that when the program began they used to buy 12 sets a year for a smaller force but that gear costs and the larger force have made that pace unaffordable without grant assistance.
Separately, fire staff discussed a Department of Interior skid-unit grant to provide a removable brush-unit skid for a Ford F-550 chassis. After rebidding and local fabrication to avoid costly required modifications, staff said the county’s net cost after reimbursement would be approximately $1,800. The commission moved and approved the PO for the skid unit (Hayes Fire Rescue LLC) by voice vote.
