CCFD is receiving a $10,000 grant to upgrade hazmat gas sensors, boosting detection abilities and improving safety across the Coastal Bend.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi Fire Department is set to receive a $10,000 grant to upgrade gas sensors used by its hazmat team, thanks to Flint Hills Resources and its “Helping Heroes” program. City Council is expected to approve the funding at Tuesday’s meeting.

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At Fire Station 5, the department’s hazmat team works around the clock to stay ahead of technology that keeps first responder, and the public safe. Battalion Chief Matthew Charbonneau said the new funding will help modernize equipment on their hazmat truck.

“The upgrades that the Helping Heroes grant is going to purchase for us is going to be a combi sensor, which will allow us to bring another gas into our AreaRAE Pro monitors for remote monitoring of gasses,” Charbonneau said.

He added that the new setup will allow sensors to work together more efficiently.

“We could combine the oxygen sensor and the gamma radiation sensor, and then we could add an ammonia sensor to the slot,” he said.

The improvements go beyond the AreaRAE monitors. Charbonneau said the grant will also enhance the team’s black line monitors.

“To upgrade our black line monitors here, currently, they are in a standard configuration and we’re going to change them to be an industry-specific configuration,” Charbonneau said. “It’ll add SO2 capabilities, sulfur dioxide. For any time we’re responding to a refinery row,” he said.

Capt. Erik Gomez said better technology means better outcomes during emergencies.

“Any sort of identification that we can get on products helps us with response and also with clean up and mitigation, so being able to correctly identify any sort of product that’s released is important to our capability and also for protection of the public,” Gomez said.

Assistant Chief Tony Perez added that the upgraded systems will directly support community safety.

“We could utilize these monitors to assist us with protective measures. What protective measures are would be the actions that we would take to protect the public whether that be to evacuate an area or it could be to just shelter in place,” Chief Perez said.

Charbonneau noted that the impact extends beyond Corpus Christi.

“The Corpus program is an actual regional unit, so we don’t just cover Corpus, we cover the southern region. So we’re also helping out small. We’ve been to Kingsville, we’ve been to all kinds of different areas,” Charbonneau said.