After a grant helped them secure tens of thousands of dollars' worth of new equipment, the Harris-Elmore Fire Department is paying it forward by donating their old equipment to countries in need.
On Tuesday, the Harris-Elmore Fire Department loaded up 19 self-contained breathing apparatuses, several Hurst extraction tools, commonly referred to as “jaws of life,” and a number of other firefighting equipment to be shipped overseas to help save lives abroad.
For legal liability reasons, Fire Chief Jim Wilburn said the department was limited in what it could do with its old equipment that was taken out of service after being replaced with the new state-of-the-art gear purchased through the grant. Despite the liability constraints, all of the equipment that the fire department donated this week was entirely functional when taken out of service earlier this year.
Thanks to the work of Walter Cook and others, the old equipment can return to saving lives and helping those in need, rather than collecting dust in storage somewhere.