The Long Beach Fire Department is kickstarting the new year with an influx of new safety and rescue gear. At the Long Beach City Council meeting on Jan. 6, the board approved the purchase nearly $330,000 worth of essential “bunker gear” — the durable jackets, pants and boots worn by firefighters — as well as four brand new defibrillator/monitor units, all headed to the LBFD.
19 sets of gear are expected to arrive at the fire department in four to six months, with 15 protective jackets, 15 protective pants and 15 pairs of fire-rated boots earmarked for volunteer firefighters with the remaining four sets being used by the department’s paid firefighters. “National Fire Protection Association standards dictate that firefighter safety equipment has a 10-year life span from the date of manufacture,” Fire Commissioner Joseph Miller wrote in a statement to the council. “Some items being replaced by this purchase are past that recommend time by a few years and others are damaged and in need of replacement for the safety of the members.”
Commissioner Miller said that helmets, while an essential part of a firefighter’s uniform, are stocked in abundance and purchasing additional headgear for the department is not currently necessary. The 19 protective outfits will cost roughly $78,000 and will be paid for by the fire department’s own budget.
The four incoming defibrillators/monitors will be replacing four outdated units — two of which are more than 10 years old and less efficient than the current model, while the remaining two are outdated and no longer serviceable for regular maintenance.
First Deputy Commissioner Scott Kemins, who also serves as a registered EMT, discussed the multiple benefits of the new models beyond standard defibrillation. “These are true medical equipment — the same that are used in emergency rooms,” Commissioner Kemins explained. “They monitor blood pressure. They monitor oxygen level in the blood. It does temperature. Like some people have pacemaker’s built into them, this machine is an external pacemaker — with the pads we put on them, we can increase their heart rate to keep them alive until we get them to a hospital.”
The total cost of the defibrillators, associated equipment (such as chargers, sensors and arm cuffs) and a four-year maintenance package is just over $251,000, which includes a $20,000 trade-in allowance for the four current units, The funds are entirely covered through a grant provided by Nassau County Legislator Patrick Mullaney — a Long Beach resident and FDNY veteran of more than 20 years.
All four devices are expected to arrive in two to three months. The defibrillators will be placed in each of the department’s three ambulances, with the remaining machine working in the “advanced life support engine” fire truck.
Commissioner Miller said he welcomes any incoming resources, clarifying that most gear used on calls has a functional life of 10 years or less, depending on wear and tear. New equipment is a never-ending need, for the safety of firefighters in the field and to more effectively help the community they serve.