Breathing easy

Hartley firefighters are taking a breath of fresh air thanks to a recent purchase.

The local squad bought 10 new air packs to replace 13 outdated ones. The equipment comes with upgraded features and increased air capacity, which made Fire Chief Brad Meendering happy.

"It was time," he said. "Our old ones were outdated and they needed to be serviced. Instead of wasting money doing that, we decided to go ahead and order these."

The new air packs, which firefighters use to breathe during firefights, cost approximately $64,000. The city kicked in $29,000, donations to the fire department contributed $25,000, and the remaining $10,000 came from the O'Brien County Community Foundation.

Each set comes with two air tanks, a harness and breathing apparatus. They are capable of holding 4,500 psi compared to 2,115 psi with the old ones, and will last 45 minutes to an hour depending on the firefighter.

Meendering noted the tanks are made of composite material, which is much lighter in weight compared to the old metal tanks.

"It makes it easier to get down and crawl," he said. "They're just a lot more comfortable."

The new air packs were ordered in May and arrived in October. They have added safety features like 360-degree LED lights, which help firefighters find one of their fallen brothers if they go down during a fire.

The pass alarms, which go off when a firefighter is immobile for a certain period of time, are also much louder and more intense.

"You're not going to miss hearing them," Meendering said.

The fire department uses the air packs during house fires, car fires and carbon monoxide calls.

"Anywhere there's smoke, we have to wear them," said Meendering.

The new equipment also has a quick-connect feature – similar to an attachment on an air compressor – that eases prep time. Before, firefighters had to screw in their tanks to the air packs.

Meendering appreciated the community's support for the upgrade.

"It's a big deal to have new ones," he said.