Dave Thom
Last spring Fire District 14 completed installation of two grant-funded compressed air systems at Station 1 and Station 2. The purpose of the installations is to provide air to brake systems on fire rigs prior to startup. The importance of these installations is twofold: to reduce page response time, and to reduce the amount of diesel exhaust pollutants inside the fire hall.
Due to the design of engine-driven air brake systems on our rigs, the brakes remain locked until the air pressure builds up enough to allow the brakes to be disengaged. Prior to having the compressed air system, the time to get the engine-driven air systems up to pressure was on the order of 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the vehicle. Now, with the newly installed air system, those same rigs can be brought up to operating pressure in less than a minute typically. This is time saved, allowing improved response times in most cases.
As you can imagine, having one or more trucks idling for several minutes inside the hall created prolonged exhaust exposure for firefighters donning gear. Now with the shortened time from engine start to getting the trucks outside, the level of indoor air pollutants is greatly diminished.
Funding for this equipment was provided mostly by a Legends Casino grant of $5,000, with another approximately $2,000 paid for by the fire district. System design and installation was accomplished with firefighter volunteer labor. Former Chief Darland and Captain Haner led the effort with other crew providing assistance.
