The Addison Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously Nov. 20 to allow the fire department to purchase over $10,000 worth of equipment.
Addison Township Fire Chief George Spencer requested the board’s permission to purchase five new self contained breathing apparatus masks ($3,875) and a ‘lightly used? hydraulic extraction rescue tool also known as the ‘JAWS? ($6,250).
Spencer said the department had two hydraulic extraction tools, but one tool, which was 20-years-old, was broken during a training session a year ago.
‘No one was injured at the time and it was considered structural failure of the tool,? he said.
The department is also requesting a wider variety of mask sizes to better suit the firefighters.
Currently, the department has 16 masks, but there is a need for more small and large-sized masks.
Spencer said the items were approved in the department’s capital budget for this year under short-term expenditure.
The chief said the department should receive the new extraction tool fairly soon and the air masks in about four weeks.