New air packs on the way

By Joe Kelly

Norfolk’s volunteer firefighters are getting state-of-the-art air packs thanks to a federal grant the department won by teaming up with Winsted.

The air packs—officially referred to as self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)— supply clean air so firefighters can breathe inside a building or in an area with toxic smoke. Air tanks connected to the SCBA mask provide up to 30-45 minutes of air. 

Norfolk will get the latest SCBAs which are equipped with wireless communications capabilities that enable incident commanders to monitor air consumption levels in different units, send evacuation signals and detect if a firefighter is no longer moving and possibly injured or worse.

The money comes from the federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG)—a program established in 2001. Norfolk and Winsted jointly applied and received about $535,000. Of that,  Norfolk will get just over a third or $186, 033—enough to buy about 18 air packs. The new ones will replace older air packs that are nearing their 20-year replacement period.

This is the second time Norfolk has teamed up with Winsted and won a federal AFG grant. In 2020, the firefighters ,along with the Norfolk ambulance corps, the Winchester and Winsted fire departments and the Winsted ambulance, jointly won an $880,000 AFG grant to upgrade their radio communications systems. 

Beginning in 2020, Norfolk’s firefighters became more aggressive in applying for federal funds and, with this latest award, have obtained about $425,000. “It’s a lot of work submitting these grant proposals,” said Matt Ludwig, Norfolk’s First Assistant Fire Chief. “But when you get it right, it really pays off.”