A nearly $142,000 grant is expected to help Poplar Bluff Fire Department replace life saving equipment before it expires.
The money would come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and should be accepted Aug. 7 by the city council.
The grant was awarded to pay for 24 self-contained breathing apparatus, the mask and air tanks carried by firefighters when they enter burning structures.
"Turnout gear (protective clothing) and this are the two most important things," said fire chief Ralph Stucker. "Fires are a lethal environment. If you don't have your own air, you're not going to survive."
The SCBA units have a 15-year life before they must be taken out of service, Stucker said. Most of the city units expire in 2018 and 2019.
This purchase will mean more than just a new service life, according to Stucker, battalion chief Mike Moffit and firefighter Jamie Watson.
Fifteen years of technology improvements make today's units safer, easier to use and more comfortable, firefighters say.
The new equipment could offer everything from a lighter face mask to handheld infrared cameras, Stucker said.
The fire department is in the process of interviewing multiple companies to find the best units.
Many contain standard upgrades, like a quick connect air hose that will allow firefighters to get into the units more quickly, Stucker said.
Others have relocated an easily broken speaker attachment from the exterior of the face mask to interior portions of the units to reduce damage.
The speaker attachment allows firefighters to use their radios without removing the face mask, which also contain an internal "heads up" display that relays the amount of air they have left and other information.
All of the units come with multiple redundancies to let firefighters know how much air is left as they are fighting a fire, Stucker said.
Tanks are rated for 45 minutes of air, but exertion means the air is used more quickly, Watson explained. Under difficult conditions, the tank can be used in 20 minutes or less, he said.
Other changes to the harness system create more mobility, replacing the back-brace like structure with something that allows firefighters to move more naturally.
The city is required to contribute a five percent match for the grant, approximately $7,000.
The city will also need to purchase about six additional units not covered by the grant, at an anticipated cost of approximately $6,200 each.