With 25 firefighters on the roster, the Walnut Grove Fire Department certainly doesn’t lack in manpower, but when it comes to turnout gear, it could use a little help.
“Some of the gear that a couple guys are in is probably from 2010, so they would’ve expired in 2020,” said Walnut Grove Fire Chief Andy Foster. “(Turnout gear) is only good for 10 years. You would think they could send somebody around with a trailer that could test your stuff.”
The turnout gear plight the WGFD has been facing will be alleviated to a point, thanks to a $10,000 State Farm grant the department has received.
The grant will cover three sets of turnout gear for the department, which serves about 1,200 people with a 106-square mile radius.
“It’s awesome,” Foster said about the grant news. “We’ve got some new guys on; we’ve taken gear from other guys and we’ve got them fitted … but one of the coats is in compliance maybe but the pants are five years outdated, or vice versa. And the stuff doesn’t exactly fit them 100% because it wasn’t measured for them. Now we can get something that actually fits them.”
Foster said a coat and pants set of turnout gear runs around $3,600. Turnout gear is made of a fire-resistant fabric called Nomex, which was developed in the early 1960s by DuPont but wasn’t marketed until 1967.
The turnout gear is customized, so it will fit its recipient perfectly.
“That’s good while that guy is there, and then when they go, you just hope you can find somebody close to that same size,” Foster said. “One way or the other, we would’ve probably got our old stuff replaced, but (the grant) just makes it super easy.”
The WGFD was one of 150 volunteer fire departments across the country to receive the grant. In collaboration with the National Volunteer Fire Council, State Farm has awarded $1.5 million in grants to help local fire departments obtain needed equipment to increase their responders’ safety, effectiveness and ability to serve their community.
This is the second year of the State Farm Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program. Volunteer fire departments are essential to public safety, especially in rural and smalltown communities.
However, many rural fire departments operate with limited budgets and struggle to secure the funding for critical equipment. These grants are a lifeline for local departments to obtain equipment that will increase safety, efficiency and effectiveness.
