TYLER, Texas — With only a month left in the current fiscal year, each of the city's departments have submitted their budget requests for next year.
The Tyler Fire Department asked for $300,000, which will go towards fleet maintenance, raises, two new firefighters and other miscellaneous items for safety and growth.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, cancer is the second leading cause of death for firefighters.
"It's been proven that the carcinogens that we get into as firefighters are on our gear and wherever we have exposed skin, […] it touches us as well," Fire Chief David Coble explained.
Coble asked the city for $38,202 for additional bunker gear for new employees. Bunker gear is the protective outwear with reflective lines that firefighters often wear.
"In order to reduce that cancer risk, it's recommended that we know everyone have two sets of gear to switch them out,” Coble explained. “So that you have a clean set of gear that you're putting on all the time."
If there are multiple fires in one day, firefighters would not need to put back on dirty gear. Instead, the second set allows them to wear fresh clothes, cancer-risk free.
“We're trying to take those extra steps, including giving the firefighter wipes, so after a fire, they can wipe their neck and their arms off,” Coble said.
Besides ensuring their safety, Coble asked for $21,000 to have some firefighters become certified to train.
The fire department does not currently have a fire academy, but having certified trainers would allow the department to train people.
"[Trainees] can come in with zero training at all, just a basic knowledge and the physical ability, and then we will train them to be firefighters," Coble said. “We will hire them at that point. So they will be on salaries.”
The details for the training program are still being worked on, but Coble says he would like for it to take six months.
“After successfully passing the state in the National Registry test, they will become a probationary firefighter here in Tyler.”