Harckham Secures $50K of Funding for Firefighters Safety in Montrose

Montrose, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham announced today that he has secured $50,000 of state grant funding for firefighting safety equipment for the Montrose Fire District.

The funding will go toward the purchase of 10 new 3M / Scott 4.5 Air-Pak X3 Pro Self-Contained Breathing Apparatuses (SCBA), which will be worn by firefighters for breathable air when the atmosphere they are working in is immediately dangerous to life or health. Each SCBA has a high-pressure tank or oxygen cylinder, a pressure regulator and inhalation connection for a face mask.

“Our firefighters should have updated, state-of-the-art equipment in order to respond to every emergency imaginable,” said Harckham. “These new breathing apparatuses will ensure greater safety for the firefighters in Montrose, and I am pleased to have been able to partner with the fire district’s leadership and attain this funding, which will lessen the burden of cost on local taxpayers and businesses.”

The new SCBA units utilize an open-breathing system, which provides filtered, compressed air rather than pure oxygen. They also contain reflective material for enhanced visibility in low-light environments, and each unit also has wireless connectivity, bi-directional communication capability and an alarm system to warn of elevated temperatures. Made in the US, the new air packs will replace 10 units that are outdated and unserviceable.

The cost to manufacture SCBA units tends to be high because of the design elements, which are meant to reduce the weight of the air packs. In addition, certain materials that provide flame resistance are needed. Each air pack incorporates an automatic distress signal into its design, which is activated immediately (and manually, if need be) if the firefighter wearing the unit is motionless.

“In today’s firefighting environment, the presence of hydrocarbons and synthetic materials, used particularly for furniture and bedding, all produce toxic fumes when burning that are detrimental,” said John Jackson, commissioner of the Montrose Fire District. “When firefighters go into buildings to perform rescues and fire fires in these toxic atmospheres, the air packs need to be functional, so we appreciate Senator Harckham’s strong support and help in our acquiring new units.”

The entire cost of the 10 new air packs is $60,560, and the Montrose Fire District, which handles approximately 275 calls a year, will cover the costs above the state grant.

The awarded grant funding was secured within the State and Municipal Facilities Program (SAM), which is among the grant programs administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) to support community and economic development. Harckham has secured more than $700,000 of state grant funding for firefighters in the 40th Senate District since 2019.