Your local tax dollars working to keep North Huron Firefighters safe

NORTH HURON—On May 16, the North Huron Fire Department (NHFD) received a significant boost to its safety measures. The delivery of new equipment, a demonstration of the crucial role your tax dollars play, ensures that our current and future firefighters can breathe a little easier and stay a little safer in situations where the air is not safe to breathe.

A self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), also referred to as a compressed air breathing apparatus (CABA) or simply breathing apparatus (BA), is a device worn to provide breathable air in an environment that is immediately dangerous to your life or health. The term self-contained means that the SCBA is not dependent on a remote breathing gas supply. Unofficial names include air pack, air tank, or oxygen cylinder.

The MSA G1 SCBA is built with the latest technology and designed to ‘drive firefighting into the future,’ manufacturer AJ Stone’s website stated.

NHFD now has 30 of these specialized SCBA units, with 15 each at the Wingham and Blyth stations.

Representative John Peter from AJ Stone underscored the revolutionary features of the MSA G1. This cutting-edge SCBA is the first of its kind with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, Motorola Radio Bluetooth connection, and personal, integrated thermal imaging (TIC). Your tax dollars have truly brought NHFD to the pinnacle of firefighting technology.

The MSA G1 technology also includes Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), near-field Communications (NFC), and long-range radio capabilities, which allow for fast and easy integration of current and future technologies.

Additionally, Peter said the equipment has a specialty hose that allows the transfer of air between firefighters if one of them run out, a safety feature that could save a firefighter’s life.

The Township of North Huron and the NHFD are excited to receive this new equipment and want to acknowledge and thank local ratepayers for the tax dollars that helped with the purchase.

Members of the NHFD expressed their heartfelt gratitude, saying they are deeply grateful to the taxpayers of North Huron for providing the means for our firefighters to carry out their duties in safety and with confidence.

Cory Bilyea, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Wingham Advance Times