Courier Correspondent
riddle4news@yahoo.com
Posted: March 25, 2008 9:10 a.m.
LUDOWICI - The Ludowici/Long County Fire Department recently received two new pieces of equipment to enhance and improve its ability to provide fire protection for the county.
According to Fire Chief Darrell Ballance a new mobile air unit will help firefighters on extended calls. The equipment and can be taken on emergency calls to refill air tanks.
In the past, the chief said, when a call lasted for an extended time, firefighters would have to go back to the fire station to re-fill the bottles or bring out replacement bottles.
"What we can do now, is set up our air unit, at the scene, in a safe place, and we can refill our air bottles There. This will be helpful on any call where we need to use our SCBA's (self-contained breathing apparatus) and we are going to be there for awhile," Ballance said.
He said the unit cost $68,000, but that the department only had to put up five percent of the funds as a local matching for a FEMA grant .
The department also recently purchased a new fire truck, a Volvo Class A pumper with a Hale pump. According to Ballance, the truck holds 1,000 gallons of water, and can pump up to 1,250 gallons of water per minute.
He said the truck was acquired through a sealed bid from the Raiford, N.C., Fire Department and he and L/LCFD Capt. James English recently picked the vehicle up.
According to Ballance, the truck will be based at Station 3 in the Tibet community.
"We have a good department and good personnel, from our volunteer firefighters to our ladies auxiliary, they all do a good job. The better equipment we can get them, will help them do an even better job, and help us give the citizens good service and protection," Balance said.
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