The Arlington Fire Department, Camano Island Fire and Rescue, and North County Fire/EMS were awarded a $770,000 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant to replace 123 sets of self-contained breathing apparatus that have reached the end of their service life.
The equipment is the face mask, tank and related gear worn by firefighters in the field that provides breathable air on a life-threatening fire and smoke-related call, or other hazardous situations.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for our departments to replace life-saving equipment with minimal impacts on our budgets,” Arlington Acting Fire Chief Dave Kraski said.
While Arlington Fire’s share in the grant is small at only 21 sets of the latest apparatus technology – and they were denied on previous requests going solo – two more FEMA grants and a fourth awarded by the Stillaguamish Tribe totaling $736,077 will put more firefighters in the field for Arlington and more effective equipment for responding to medical emergencies.