The Phelps Volunteer Fire Department recently received a long-awaited upgrade to personal protection uniforms for wild-land firefighting.
“We were very fortunate to receive a 50/50 grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) — $2,500 from the Phelps Fire Department and $2,500 from the DNR,” said Norm Mesun, fire chief.
According to Mesun, the purchase will allow fire department members to respond to outdoor wild-land fires in the newly approved and much lighter uniforms instead of the heavy, insulated uniforms that are worn for structural firefighting. This will be safer and more comfortable and therefore more efficient for that activity as members will have less of a tendency to overheat in the new lighter gear.