Federal grant to replace WV firefighters' air packs

YAKIMA, Wash. -- West Valley firefighters will use a $343,000 federal grant to replace their aging air packs, which are vital for entering smoky house fires.

Fire district officials had planned to set aside money from the agency's budget to meet a January 2014 deadline for replacing the equipment.

The grant, from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, means the district will only have to match 5 percent of the cost, or $18,000.

"We were pretty fortunate that we got it. It had to be done," Deputy Chief Nathan Craig said.

The air packs -- formally known as high-pressure self-contained breathing apparatuses -- allow firefighters to breathe clean air inside burning homes or other smoke-filled environments. They must be replaced every 15 years, according to the manufacturer and federal standards, Craig said.

The grant will also help pay for a new bottle-filling station and a new compressor on a truck that's used to refill the bottles in the field.

Other Yakima County fire agencies already use the same brand of packs, so West Valley firefighters will be able to trade equipment as needed when they are working together.

The fire district still has money left over from another FEMA grant, awarded last fall for nearly $30,000, to provide smoke detectors for district residents.

More information is available by calling 509-966-3111.