The Hudson Fire Department (HFD) received its new self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBAs) thanks to a Federal Emergency Management Agency, Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) award of $174,872 in August 2021.
HFD requested the grant from AFG to replace the 15-year-old SCBAs that expire this August. Brand new SCBAs will improve the safety of Hudson’s first responders so they can perform their duties effectively under extreme conditions.
Hudson Fire formed a committee to perform a comprehensive evaluation of fire safety suppliers Drager, Scott, and MSA’s SCBA samples to determine the best equipment in November 2021. Evaluations included crawling through smoke filled environments, climbing ladders, swinging axes/tools, and other fire scene work applications. All five committee members unanimously chose MSA as their number one choice, with the quote being $263,570, about $36,000 under HFD’s budget. Hudson Fire has budgeted to cover the remaining cost of the SCBAs after the $174,872 grant is applied.
Hudson Fire has been training and familiarizing its firefighters with the new equipment and will put the SCBAs into service on Monday, August 15.
More information about the Assistance to Firefighter Grants Program can be found at www.fema.gov.