Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Co. purchases new air packs, still needs to replace fire trucks damaged by Superstorm Sandy

Members of the Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Co. are still dealing with the after-effects of Superstorm Sandy nearly a year and half after the storm devastated the area. Following the loss of most of its equipment due to 4 feet of floodwater damage, the fire company recently purchased 30 new and upgraded MSA air packs, which supply crewmembers with fresh air when worn during fire calls.

Photo by Jack Reynolds
A Beach Haven firefighter tries on
the new, upgraded gear.

Nearly 30 active members gathered at the firehouse on Thursday, Jan. 23 for training on the newly upgraded gear.

“All the guys there felt very comfortable with them,” said Matt Letts, Beach Haven fire chief. “We’re pretty excited that we got something nice. It gives us something to look forward to using.”

The company lost four of the necessary self-contained breathing apparatuses during the storm, and the others, which were 10 years old and out of date, often needed frequent repairs, said Letts. The air packs are most often used during house fire calls where heavy smoke or carbon monoxide creates a breathing hazard for the first responders.

“We wear them on every call, even if we’re not using them to breathe. They’re always on the guy’s backs, just in case we pull up on something unexpected,” said Letts. “Without them, we wouldn’t really be able to do anything. Next to the hose and the fire truck, they’re the most important thing.”

The new purchase cost the fire company $138,000, which included a $40,000 discount with 30 donated air bottles, “the heart and soul of the air pack, where the air is stored,” from FF1 Professional Safety Services in Sparta. Depending on a user’s breathing habits, the new air bottles should last about 45 minutes compared to the former air bottles, which lasted about 30 minutes, said Letts. The bottles must be filled after each use and hydrostatic tested every five years before they are considered out of date after 15 years, he explained.

“That was actually part of our issue with the old ones, too,” said Letts. “Forty out of the 60 we had were up for replacement because they were out of hydro dates. They would have had to be replaced within the next couple of months. That would have been another cost on us, so we weighed the options of replacing all the bottles or getting all new air packs and getting something current and top of the line,” he explained.

To pay for the cost of the new purchase, the fire company used funds from fundraising efforts over the past three to four years, including the annual turkey dinner held every February and the yearly block party held each October during Chowderfest weekend. The fire company has also raised money through the sale of T-shirts and individual donations from local residents and businesses as well as from Beach Haven and Long Beach Township

Photo by Jack Reynolds
The crewmembers are comfortable using the
necessary air packs for calls.

governments.

Although the fire company receives some funding from the towns it covers for fire calls, Letts said it is not enough to pay for such hefty purchases. The company is also currently in desperate need of new fire trucks.

In September the company bought a 1989, 1,000-gallon pumper truck for $10,000. The truck was originally on loan from the Shepherdstown Volunteer Fire Co. in West Virginia after the Beach Haven company lost a truck during Sandy. Besides the fact that the older, open-cab truck is practically out of date according to National Fire Protection Agency standards, it has also had its share of problems. The truck was recently out of service and unable to pump water.

The local company, which saved more than 100 people from Beach Haven and Long Beach Township during the height of the superstorm, is also looking to replace its 1992 ladder truck, which will be “at the end of its service life” within the next three years, said Letts. The ladder for the truck is no longer manufactured, either, he added.

“It’s got to go because we really can’t maintain it without the proper parts,” said Letts.

The fire company plans to first purchase a pumper truck, which Letts said would cost the company around $500,000. The ladder truck, which is used often for house fire calls, will cost around $1 million, he added. The crew is currently in the process of deciding whether to finance or bond the new trucks.

“The big part we’re trying to figure out is funding. Unfortunately, insurance didn’t help us out too much for the fire truck that we lost from the storm,” said Letts. “We are heavily reliant on donations. We are 100 percent donations, really,” he added.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.