Schnellville Volunteer Fire Department to receive new gear through state funding

The Schnellville Volunteer Fire Department is set to receive about $250,000 in essential personal protection equipment (PPE) upgrades for its firefighters.

Fire Chief Mark Fischer explained that they applied for the grant for new PPE, which includes boots, pants, jackets, helmets and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), last year. He was surprised to hear that they had been awarded the grant last week.

Through the grant, the volunteer fire department will receive 15 sets of turnout gear and 15 new SCBA systems for the department.

New firefighter equipment is expensive and small volunteer fire departments can struggle to come up with funds for new gear. Complete sets of turnout gear for a firefighter can cost up to $8,000 and the SCBA systems can cost between $8,000 and $10,000.

It’s an important update for the department, whose current gear is over 20 years old. “The company we purchased our airpacks from is no longer in business,” Fischer said, adding they can’t get parts for them anymore.

The department currently has 10 SCBA systems for firefighters to use when they enter a burning structure, so, according to Fischer, these new systems will enable more firefighters to operate in those types of adverse conditions.

The vendor, MES Inc., will work directly with individual firefighters to measure and fit the equipment before delivery in the coming weeks.

Schnellville is among the 66 departments receiving the new PPE as part of Governor Eric Holcomb’s 2023 Next Level Agenda, which prioritizes firefighter safety in the State of Indiana.

In 2023, Gov. Eric J. Holcomb and IDHS secured state funding totaling $17.7 million for fire training and equipment. Out of these funds, $10 million in new personal protective equipment (PPE) has been issued to volunteer fire departments across the state. These funds represent the first-ever funding allocated by the General Assembly for firefighter training and equipment.

The funds are administered by the Indiana Fire and Public Safety Academy, led by the Indiana State Fire Marshal and IDHS.