MILTON TOWNSHIP Fire department gets FEMA grant

The grant will be used to buy equipment to help firefighters make rescues.
By MARALINE KUBIK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
LAKE MILTON -- The Milton Township Volunteer Fire Department is just 3 years old, but may have outperformed all other area fire departments in securing FEMA funds.
"We're the only department that I know of to get two of these grants," said Fire Chief Richard Pellin Jr.
His department received a $97,934 grant in 2001, the first year the Federal Emergency Management Agency offered the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, Pellin said.
This year, it was awarded $99,315 to buy equipment that will help firefighters rescue victims and themselves should they become trapped in a burning building.
Among the items topping the list, Pellin said, are a thermal imaging camera that will help firefighters see through smoke-filled buildings and a rapid intervention kit that contains special tools firefighters use to rescue themselves.
"It's a lot more difficult to rescue a firefighter," Pellin explained. "We have a lot of heavy gear that we wear so it's not as easy as pulling out someone who doesn't have all that on."
Other equipment
Also on the list are a modern Jaws of Life, lifting bags, generators and basic firefighting equipment.
"The Jaws of Life we have are very old and don't do the job as quickly and easily as the new version," Pellin said. The Jaws are a cutting tool used to free people trapped in wrecked vehicles and other situations.
The lifting bags, made of fabric similar to bullet-proof vests, are used to lift heavy equipment at accident scenes.
On construction sites they might be used to lift steel beams, Pellin said, or to lift a truck off a car at a crash scene. They can also be used to lift farm equipment that has rolled onto its operator.
The generators will be used to power lights at fire scenes. "Shutting off the power is one of the first things we do when we're going to be spraying water," he said. They could also be used to help residents with critical needs for power in the event of a blackout.
A few other fire departments in the five-county region were awarded FEMA grants, but none as substantial as Milton's.
The grant program assists fire departments in increasing the effectiveness of firefighting operations, firefighter health and safety programs, new fire apparatus, emergency medical service programs and fire prevention and safety programs.
About the department
Milton serves some 4,000 residents plus Lake Milton State Park. It was formed in January 2000 and operates with 25 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical workers.
Construction of a $750,000 fire station next to the town hall is expected to begin within the next several months. That will be funded through the United States Department of Agriculture, Pellin said.
kubik@vindy.com