The Geyserville Fire Department received a grant from the “Indian Gaming Distribution Fund”. This grant was sponsored by The Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians. The grant paid $90,000 to upgrade firefighter safety equipment and bring equipment up nationally recognized safety standards. These upgrades included, upgrades to Self Contained Breathing Apparatus, additional air bottles, new turnout gear for firefighters, Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) pack, and large area search packs. At this time everything is in service except for the RIT pack and search pack. These will be placed in service after a specialized training in January with an instructor who is nationally know and author of multiple books on RIT and large area searches. The Geyserville Fire Department is extremely thankful to the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians for recognizing the importance to these safety features.
The Upgraded Safety Equipment is as follows:
1. 20 SCBA Bottles
Self Contained Breathing Apparatus bottles are air bottles that fit into the air packs that allow firefighters to breathe while in deadly conditions. Typically air bottles have 2216 psi and 4500 Cu. Ft. of air. Each bottle can last a firefighter up to 25 minutes but when working hard the air is consumed much quicker.
2. 1 RIT Pack
The Rapid Intervention Pack an air bottle that can be deployed during the rescue of a downed firefighter. The RIT pack contains a bottle, a series of hoses and an extra SCBA mask. The RIT pack hoses are used to connect the RIT bottle to a SCBA that is already in use. The RIT bottle will continue to supply air to the downed firefighter after their bottles is out of air. The extra mask is used to replace the mask of a downed firefighter should they have a damaged mask.
3. 2 Large Area Search Packs
RIT's Group Search Kit makes large area search and RIT team operations a safer task. The standard kit is set up for a four person team and provides a lifeline to the outside for each member. For searching a large area the optional marker system of knots and rings assists in performing a systematic search and prevents duplication of search areas. The knot and ring system assures team members of their location and exit direction. RIT operations are also supported with this system.
For additional info about the Large Area Search Pack
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4. 35 Sets of New Turnouts
Turnouts are the firefighters first line of defense from a fire our in a rescue. The turnouts provide thermal protection from both radiant heat and the convection heat from steam. These new turnouts also have the new Drag Rescue Device (DRD). The DRD is a strap in the turnouts that makes it easier for firefighters to pull downed firefighters to safety.
For additional info about the Turnouts
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5. 22 RIT Fitting Up-grade on Existing SCBAs
The RIT fitting is a fitting that goes on the air pack. This connection allows RIT pack to connect to the SCBA a fill the bottles so that downed firefighters have enough air to exit the hazardous area.
