Firefighters in Grady County are due to receive a shipment of new equipment county commissioners say is essential for saving lives.
County commissioners voted unanimously last week to approve a $27,000 purchase of 15 turnout gear sets from the Georgia Fire & Rescue Supply. The county received three bids for the budgeted purchase, with GFRS providing the low bid.
Fire chief Richard Phillips said it can cost around $13,000 to fully outfit a firefighter to enter a burning structure, including turnout, helmets, boots, gloves, hood, face masks and a radio.
“It all adds up,” he said.
Phillips said he’s never turned down a request for updated turnout gear. Instead, he encourages each chief within the Grady County Volunteer Fire Department to replace a handful of the 150 total turnout sets across the department each year to keep prices manageable.