Bursting through a burning building five or 10 years ago,
Hollister firefighters were often blinded by smoke
– unable to see whether victims were unconscious and left
vulnerable to the risk of potential air tank failure.
Bursting through a burning building five or 10 years ago, Hollister firefighters were often blinded by smoke – unable to see whether victims were unconscious and left vulnerable to the risk of potential air tank failure.
But with sweeping improvements in technology in recent years, and more available funding for local departments, officials believe the risk of death for firefighters and victims has vastly diminished.
Since the terrorist attacks of 2001, the federal government has allocated Department of Homeland Security funding annually to local jurisdictions throughout the nation.
Locally, the Hollister Fire Department isn’t alone – though it gets about 40 percent of the county’s allocation. Other area fire departments, including San Juan Bautista’s and the two county CDF branches, also receive allotments.
And other countywide agencies, including the Coroner’s Office and Emergency Medical Services, also take in a portion of the county’s share, according to Margie Riopel, director of San Benito County Emergency Services.
“Everybody in San Benito County benefited from Homeland Security money,” said Hollister Fire Chief Bill Garringer.
Recently, the Hollister Fire Department purchased an array of high-tech equipment. With it, in comparison with firefighter safety only five years ago, Garringer said, “It’s night and day.”
Garringer and his staff Monday showed off the new resources, which include eight breathing tanks with spare bottles, a thermal imaging camera, “jaws of life” rescue tools and flattened air bags that can inflate to lift vehicles or even ruptured buildings.
The cost: $89,300.
Total cost to the financially reeling City of Hollister: $0.
Without the outside funding, Garringer said, the city could not have purchased any of the new resources.
Hollister received about $62,000 from the federal government; $26,000 from California Office of Traffic Safety through the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency; and a $1,600 grant from Factory Mutual Global.
The “self-contained breathing” tanks were the most expensive at $40,000. They include computerized “heads up” displays inside the masks, which indicate how much air remains. Federal law began requiring the displays about a year ago.
The jaws of life equipment – often used to slice open smashed vehicles – cost about $20,000. It includes the main cutting tool, shaped like a large scissors; a power source unit; and a rescue saw.
The air bag – two feet wide and a couple inches off the ground – cost $4,000. Several of them can be stacked, he said. So the more air bags the department attains, the more weight firefighters could lift in an emergency.
Garringer said he expects the department to buy more bags in the near future.
“That’ll lift 10 tons right there,” Garringer said of the one air bag recently purchased. “We’ll be able to lift a freeway overpass when we’re done.” Â
The new thermal imaging camera identifies objects, even through clouds of smoke, by detecting their levels of heat. The hotter the object, the brighter it shows on the screen, the chief said.
And Garringer also pointed out that the department’s new fire engine, in service for the past couple weeks, includes many technology enhancements as well.
“Everything was designed with the firefighters in mind,” he said.
Among the improvements, a built-in electronic foam extinguishing system is a major upgrade from the previously antiquated method – which included a knee-high metal mechanism that pumped foam from a bucket.
Foam is used to put out gas fires – water makes a gas fire worse. Foam is also used during grass fires to temper the possibility of flames flaring up after being previously extinguished.
In 2004, local public safety departments are slated to receive $359,000 from the federal government, according to Riopel.
When Garringer started his career 32 years ago, he said, firefighters often entered burning structures without any type of breathing apparatus.
And if they were lucky enough to get the equipment, it weighed about 45 pounds – about 25 pounds more than the modern gear.
“They were finding firefighters dying in fires because they were staying too long,” Garringer said. “It would take them 15 minutes to get into a bad situation – and they had five minutes to get out.”
