LUDOWICI - The Ludowici/Long County Fire Department recently received two new pieces of equipment to enhance and improve its ability to provide fire protection for the county.
According to Fire Chief Darrell Ballance a new mobile air unit will help firefighters on extended calls. The equipment and can be taken on emergency calls to refill air tanks.
In the past, the chief said, when a call lasted for an extended time, firefighters would have to go back to the fire station to re-fill the bottles or bring out replacement bottles.
"What we can do now, is set up our air unit, at the scene, in a safe place, and we can refill our air bottles There. This will be helpful on any call where we need to use our SCBA's (self-contained breathing apparatus) and we are going to be there for awhile," Ballance said.
He said the unit cost $68,000, but that the department only had to put up five percent of the funds as a local matching for a FEMA grant .
The department also recently purchased a new fire truck, a Volvo Class A pumper with a Hale pump. According to Ballance, the truck holds 1,000 gallons of water, and can pump up to 1,250 gallons of water per minute.
He said the truck was acquired through a sealed bid from the Raiford, N.C., Fire Department and he and L/LCFD Capt. James English recently picked the vehicle up.
According to Ballance, the truck will be based at Station 3 in the Tibet community.
"We have a good department and good personnel, from our volunteer firefighters to our ladies auxiliary, they all do a good job. The better equipment we can get them, will help them do an even better job, and help us give the citizens good service and protection," Balance said.
According to Fire Chief Darrell Ballance a new mobile air unit will help firefighters on extended calls. The equipment and can be taken on emergency calls to refill air tanks.
In the past, the chief said, when a call lasted for an extended time, firefighters would have to go back to the fire station to re-fill the bottles or bring out replacement bottles.
"What we can do now, is set up our air unit, at the scene, in a safe place, and we can refill our air bottles There. This will be helpful on any call where we need to use our SCBA's (self-contained breathing apparatus) and we are going to be there for awhile," Ballance said.
He said the unit cost $68,000, but that the department only had to put up five percent of the funds as a local matching for a FEMA grant .
The department also recently purchased a new fire truck, a Volvo Class A pumper with a Hale pump. According to Ballance, the truck holds 1,000 gallons of water, and can pump up to 1,250 gallons of water per minute.
He said the truck was acquired through a sealed bid from the Raiford, N.C., Fire Department and he and L/LCFD Capt. James English recently picked the vehicle up.
According to Ballance, the truck will be based at Station 3 in the Tibet community.
"We have a good department and good personnel, from our volunteer firefighters to our ladies auxiliary, they all do a good job. The better equipment we can get them, will help them do an even better job, and help us give the citizens good service and protection," Balance said.