TYLER, Texas — The Tyler Fire Department is purchasing new tools that will reduce exposure to potential cancer-causing chemicals.
On Wednesday, the Tyler City Council agreed to use a grant to buy five National Fire Protection Association compliant commercial washer-extractors as a way to expand its cancer-reduction initiatives.
The washer-extractors will help remove biohazardous materials and debris that can get on a firefighter's uniform.
The grant, totaling over $80,000, comes from the Federal Emergency Management Association's Assistance to Firefighters Grants Programs to fund the purchase and installation.
Cancer continues to be a leading cause of death among each year among firefighters so Tyler Fire Department continues expanding initiatives to decrease this trend, according to the City of Tyler.
"This purchase reduces the turnaround time for cleaning personal protective equipment (PPE) after incidents. Currently, firefighters go out of their primary response districts to deliver and retrieve PPE from one of the four stations with commercial washer-extractors," said David Coble, City of Tyler Fire Chief.
"This causes delays and can potentially increase response times. These funds will greatly assist us in streamlining this process while keeping units in-service, in-district, and response-ready."
This funding promotes the health and safety of firefighters throughout their careers as they will use the commercial washer-extractors regularly. The department policy supports regular cleaning to remove contaminants.
The policy also mandates that PPE contaminated with biohazard substances be removed and cleaned as soon as possible.
The total amount of this grant is over $91,150. With the fire department's matching funds of over $8,286.37, the funding allows the fire department to purchase and install the commercial washer-extractors at five fire stations.