Ronald Helsel holds up a copy of the $500 grant that the Oakland Volunteer Fire Co. (Johnstown, Pa.) won in TRI’s 2013 Volunteer Fire Department Grant Contest. Additionally, TRI is providing Oakland VFC with a free NFPA 1989 Compressed Breathing Air Test.
FDIC was held this past month in Indianapolis. The annual FDIC event brings together firefighters and emergency responders from all over the United States (as well as some international representatives) to share experience, train, celebrate, and honor their vital profession. It is each and every time a thrilling and inspiring event to see firefighters from companies large and small, many of whom are volunteers, gathering.
Not long after the event, we received the above photo from Ronald Helsel of the Jonestown, Pennsylvania-based Oakland Volunteer Fire Company. Oakland VFC was the winner of TRI’s 2013 Volunteer Fire Department Grant Competition. Helsel shared a photo of the $500 grant the VFC had received (along with a free NFPA 1989 compressed air test).
SAFETY FIRST
Did you know that nearly 70% of the firefighters and 66% of the fire companies in the United States are volunteers? That is more than 750,000 emergency service personnel and 21,000 VFDs!
VFDs play an essential role in the national emergency response network. While VFDs and standard fire departments have increasingly been pressured to do more with less, one place they should never be asked to cut back is on safety, such as checking and verifying the integrity of their breathing air supplies.
Volunteer departments, however, generally operate with significantly lower funding; so safety checks (such as equipment age/use and sampling of breathing air) are less frequent or not conducted at all.
This was precisely why TRI Air Testing invited nominations of VFDs in our 2013 contest. Throughout the contest we awarded numerous free air tests to help these smaller departments validate the integrity of their air supplies, and at the conclusion of the year we selected a grand prize winner (Oakland VFC) to receive a free test and a $500 grant.
Volunteer fire departments are just as likely to encounter life-threatening situations, but their resources are nearly always far more limited–including limitations on basic testing to ensure safe breathing air. Photo: Oakland VFC.
FIREFIGHTERS, BREATHING AIR & TESTING
There are purchase and loan options for various air testing kits. Seen here: a Compressed Air Sampling Kit from TRI Air Testing. (Option C on company website.)
TRI Air Testing is an AIHA Accredited Laboratory specializing in the analysis of Compressed Breathing Air Quality Testing for firefighters and SCBA Air.
Our compressed air testing kits-which are available for purchase or on loan-help fire departments collect compressed breathing air samples at the source to yield accurate, detailed understanding of their compressed air quality and SCBA air. Compressed air plays a huge role in keeping firefighters safe. TRI Air Testing is proud to be part of this field, NFPA and the annual FDIC event. Visit with us at the FDIC Show 2014 and get updates on Twitter @FirefighterAir
We serve fire departments everywhere, offering high-quality compressed air test kits that uniquely collect samples at the source, 24-hour turnaround of results, and online access to reports. TRI provides testing for SCBA breathing air for NFPA 1989, Grade D, OSHA and more!
Stay safe! Test your air.
