Comox Fire Rescue has made a progressive step forward by acquiring a cutting-edge breathing apparatus decontamination unit, marking a significant advancement in firefighter health and safety measures.
The new unit is designed to effectively clean and decontaminate firefighters’ personal protective equipment, including breathing apparatus, helmets, gloves, boots and other small equipment. This state-of-the-art technology ensures a thorough decontamination process, minimizing the risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals and carcinogenic particles encountered during firefighting operations.
“Keeping our members safe and healthy is our number one priority,” said fire chief Gord Schreiner. “The investment into this decontamination unit is one more way to support our crew – these newer technologies are needed to keep them protected now and into the future.”
Studies have shown that firefighters have a significantly higher risk of being diagnosed with various forms of cancer than the general population. This is due to the hazardous chemicals and carcinogenic particles that they are exposed to in the line of duty regularly.
Comox Fire Rescue has long been at the forefront of cancer reduction initiatives, implementing rigorous cleaning protocols for their response jackets and pants after every fire. However, the manual decontamination of breathing apparatus and other equipment posed challenges until the setup and installation of this unit.
This new piece of equipment was co-funded by the province through their Community Emergency Preparedness Fund ($30,000) and the Comox Firefighters Association through funds raised by the Comox Fire Training Centre ($20,000).