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ROTTERDAM
Feds finance new fire gear for two Rotterdam units
BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter

    Carman firefighters may soon be able to breath a bit easier.
    The volunteer department will receive $178,695 in federal funding that will help them replace their aging breathing apparatus and the compressor needed to fill the canisters. Fire Commissioner Kenneth Posson said the grant will help the department replace the nearly 25-year-old devices at once, rather than piecemeal.
    "We're going to be replacing all of them fortunately," he said Monday. "Without the grant, we wouldn't be able to do this at all."
    By the fall, the department plans to replace all 18 of the devices and their accompanying canisters. Posson said the newer models will fi t better and have masks that are less prone to condensation.
    Fire Chief David Galka said some of the older units no longer live up to the standards of fire equipment today. He said the new equipment will allow the department to fully replace a number of canisters that were approaching the end of their usefulness.
    "We were about at that point,” he said.
    Carman's funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. The department had applied for the funding in 2005, but had been rejected. Posson said the fire district will be responsible for about $9,405.
    Carman was among the two Schenectady County fire companies to receive funding this year. Rotterdam Fire District 2 was awarded a $47,120 to help replace the company's turnout gear.
    Assistant Fire Chief Ron Paul said the department was able to purchase 29 new sets with the grant. He said the new gear will be equipped with special harness belts for self-rescue.
    "The whole company hasn't had new gear in ore than 10 years," he said.