The state is investigating the Spokane Fire Department after contaminants reportedly were found in firefighters’ air tanks.
The discovery, which occurred in mid-November after firefighters noticed a foul smell coming from air canisters during a breathing test, prompted fire department leaders to shut down all three of the department’s air compressors. Those compressors had been used to fill and refill 500 air tanks used by about 330 firefighters throughout 16 fire stations.
As a result, the department has been forced to borrow several dozen air tanks and self-contained breathing apparatus packs from neighboring fire departments, including Spokane County Fire Districts 8, 9 and 10, Cheney Fire Department, Spokane Valley Fire Department, Pullman Fire Department and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue.