Funds will be used to buy breathing apparatuses

Every minute counts in a burning building.

Minutes and seconds can be the difference between life and death for those trapped inside and those who rush in to help.

But thanks to a federal grant, the Burlington Fire Department will soon be receiving newer breathing apparatuses, which will help firefighters breathe a breath of fresh air — literally.

The department recently received a $165,300 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to purchase 18 self-contained breathing apparatuses.

The devices, worn on responders’ backs during hazardous situations, circulate air from a carbon fiber oxygen tank into firefighters’ masks.

Fire Chief Mark Anderson said he was notified by e-mail late last week that the department had received the grant, which it had applied for earlier this year.

The department had unsuccessfully applied for the grant, called the Assistance to Firefigthers Grant, last year.

Apparatuses currently used by the department are between 15 and 20 years old and have received a lot of use, Anderson said.

“It’s a highly important piece of equipment,” he said.

Changes between department’s current apparatuses, which range in brand, age and functionality, and newer devices are substantial, firefighter Rob Toth said.

Possibly the biggest difference between the old and new apparatuses is how long firefighters can use them before refilling their tanks.

More efficient bottles could add between five and 15 minutes of additional air for firefighters to use before requiring a fill up.

Better bottles, paired with advances in technology and form, will help keep firefighters safer not only during fires, but where ever smoke or hazardous fumes are present, Toth said.

Many newer apparatuses also have built-in sensors that help track firefighters’ locations by use of an electronic signal that is emitted.

Stronger straps and easier-to-read gauges — including an onboard gauge located within a firefighters’ mask — on newer models also help keep firefighters safe, Toth said.

“This is today’s generation,” Toth said.

Firefighters have been testing out three brands of apparatus to see which model they like the best.

Each device would cost the department about $6,500 to purchase on its own — up from about $2,000 each 10 years ago, Anderson said.

The department hopes to have the new equipment by the end of the year, Anderson said.

Fire Districts 2, 3, 7, 9, 13 and Sedro-Woolley Fire Department also received grants between 2006 and 2007. Burlington is the only area department to receive a federal grant in 2008, Anderson said.

In 2007, Washington state fire departments received nearly $13 million in federal grants.

The Burlington Fire Department covers about 32 square miles.

“We do have fewer fires here (compared to other departments), but when we have them, this will really help out,” Anderson said.