Fire department puts new extrication equipment to the test

Details: Lance Martin; News; 25 November 2024; 341

The day after the Roanoke Rapids Fire Department received extrication equipment from a Firehouse Subs grant, they went to Hinson Street to put them to use on vehicles stored there for training.

Victory Steel delivered the TNT Rescue-made equipment to Fire Station 1 on Roanoke Avenue Friday. It is equipment that is made in the United States and comes with a forever warranty on everything but the battery receivers.

The fire department received word of the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation grant in August — $37,290 so the department could equip its newest engine and one for a second scheduled to be delivered in the coming months with spreaders, cutters and rams.

Prior to receiving word on the grant, Assistant Chief Richard Cook said the department’s current extrication is about 20-years-old. “Thanks to Firehouse Subs we got equipment for both trucks.”

Chief Jason Patrick said, “It’s a huge deal for us to be able to get this grant. This was a 100 percent grant so there was no city funding put towards this grant.”

The department had applied for the grant four times, Patrick said. “We were very blessed to receive it this time to buy these tools.”

View the embedded image gallery online at:
https://rrspin.com/news/9768-fire-department-puts-new-extrication-equipment-to-the-test.html#sigProId7bfadb4fd5

Patrick credits Cook for helping the department secure the grant. “He’s been our go-between between us, our department and our grant writer we’ve been using. He’s provided him with all the information and managed the grants as far as purchasing and gathering the data that needs to be put into the grants.”

Each grant has to have a certain amount of data such as call volume and response times, Patrick said. “He’s done a great job with maintaining all that and getting that information to them to benefit us and allow us to be able to get these grants.”

The work that Cook has put into the grants the department has received is a testament to his commitment, Patrick said. “He has outstanding commitment to the department to be able to work so diligently to get this money that otherwise would take us many, many years.”

The department has received around $750,000 in grants over the last two to three years. “We know we can’t always depend on grants but right now we’ve been very blessed to be able to get what we’ve received.”

As far as how Saturday’s training with the new equipment went, Battalion Chief Tim Gray said, “It works awesome. It’s definitely a benefit being so light weight.”

Lieutenant Bryan Hollowell said he likes the forever warranty “and the fact the battery on them can be bought locally so we don’t have to wait on one to be shipped. The batteries for our extrication equipment are interchangeable with our other battery-powered equipment we carry on the truck. The customer service has been outstanding thus.”

Hollowell said he initially doubted the ability of the battery-powered tools compared to traditional hydraulic tools. “Through training they have proved to be just as reliable as the traditional hydraulic tools.”