SCHENECTADY — The Schenectady Fire Department is set to enhance the safety of its firefighters with the procurement of a new set of protective gear.
The City Council gave the green light for this acquisition on Oct. 28. The department will be investing in 10 new firefighting jackets costing $19,300 and 10 pairs of firefighting trousers for $22,000.
In a meeting with the council’s public safety committee in August, Schenectady Fire Chief Donald Mareno proposed the standardization of the department’s fire gear specifications. He highlighted that the department has been sourcing its turnout gear from the Globe Manufacturing Company for the past 30 years, following a detailed 22-page specification guide for the production of the coat and pants that constitute a set of gear.
With Globe no longer on the state contract and after a bidding process, the department used these specifications to source its new gear. The new gear, which are Globe products, were purchased through the Garrison Fire and Rescue Corporation.
“Our aim was to standardize our PPE [Personal Protective Equipment] due to the specific needs of our department,” Mareno stated. “We wanted to ensure that regardless of the supplier, the manufacturer had to meet our set standards, and this was approved.”
The fire department has allocated funds for additional gear in the next year. Its projected $11.6 million budget for 2025 includes $196,500 for various equipment purchases, with $88,000 earmarked for clothing and dry goods.
The department is obligated to retire each piece of gear after a decade of use and replace it with new equipment.
“The gear has three layers and is designed in a way that it wicks moisture. Each [brand] has a similar approach to achieving this,” Mareno elaborated. “We have additional requirements that can be as simple as wanting the radio pocket in a specific location. We want all firefighters to have their radios and tools in a specific place. We want everyone to have their extrication system placed in a certain manner.”
The fire chief emphasized that in critical situations, firefighters need to be able to depend on the consistency and reliability of their equipment.
“In the midst of a crisis, when things are escalating, a firefighter has to address certain things that may seem trivial, but when you’re trying to rescue someone from a building, you need to know, ‘In this pocket, these tools are there and I may need one of his tools to help me untangle him because I can’t get to mine,’” Mareno explained. “It can’t vary from one firefighter to another, it has to be standardized. When it matters, you don’t have time to think, you have to know and act.”
Agree – This equipment will enhance the safety of firefighters and improve their ability to protect the community.
Agree – This investment in new safety equipment is crucial for the protection of our firefighters and community.
Agree – This investment will help ensure our firefighters are better protected while serving our community.
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