Staff writer
Marion County Fire District No. 5 at Lincolnville is receiving a $32,068 grant from the Department of Homeland Security. It is the third grant the department has been awarded since 2007.
According to fire chief Lester Kaiser, the money will be used for several purposes including maintenance of bunker gear. This includes a storage system, a washer with an extractor, and a dryer.
“The washer and dryer will allow firemen to get back into service quicker,” he said. “The dryer will dry gear in four to five hours instead of two to four days of air-drying.”
At least two sets of gear can be washed at one time.
Kaiser said no other department in the county has these appliances. His department will make them available for others to use.
A fill station for air bottles also will be purchased with grant money, and a laptop computer and LCD projector will be acquired for training purposes.
A headset radio system will be purchased for each of the two fire trucks. Kaiser said the headset will provide protection from the sound of the siren and will allow a driver to hear radio calls and speak in a normal tone of voice, as opposed to “yelling” to be heard under the current system.