Middletown expected to boost police, fire equipment to help battle coronavirus spread

Turnout gear for firefighters hand inside one the bays at Middletown Fire Headquarters. Middletown City Council will consider a request to purchase 81 sets of turnout gear for firefighters to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The turnout gear gets coated with toxic substances that cause the gear to be treated as hazardous until they are properly cleaned and dried. If firefighters receive a call before their gear is cleaned and dried, they are forced to share gear which increases the possible spread of COVID-19. FILE PHOTO Middletown will receive a $337,690 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to Firefighters Grants program. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Turnout gear for firefighters hand inside one the bays at Middletown Fire Headquarters. Middletown City Council will consider a request to purchase 81 sets of turnout gear for firefighters to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The turnout gear gets coated with toxic substances that cause the gear to be treated as hazardous until they are properly cleaned and dried. If firefighters receive a call before their gear is cleaned and dried, they are forced to share gear which increases the possible spread of COVID-19. FILE PHOTO Middletown will receive a $337,690 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to Firefighters Grants program. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF
News
By Ed Richter
Dec 9, 2020
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Middletown City Council is expected to continue its latest efforts to improve the safety gear of the city’s first responders.

At its next meeting on Dec. 15, council is expected to approve the purchase of 81 sets of new firefighting turnout gear for $241,799 from Phoenix Safety Outfitters of Upper Arlington.

In her report, city Purchasing Agent Samantha Zimmerman said when firefighters respond to a fire, the turnout gear gets coated with toxic agents that can continue to transfer any contaminants long after the incident has ended. She said the turnout gear should be treated as hazardous until it has been cleaned and dried back at the station.

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Zimmerman said if firefighters are called to another fire before the turnout gear has been cleaned and dried, the firefighters now have to share turnout gear. Sharing the turnout gear could increase the potential spread of COVID-19.

The purchase will allow each firefighter to have two full sets of turnout gear.

Officials said Phoenix is offering a lower price, nearly 43% lower than retail price and lower than the state and national purchasing contracts.

The request for new turnout gear was not budgeted for 2020, and the Division of Fire is seeking a supplemental appropriation to make the purchase.

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At its Nov. 17 meeting, council approved the purchase of new gas masks and headsets for the Division of Police from Pro-Tech of Berea, Ohio to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The cost of $34,770 was paid for through CARES Act funding.

The masks will help protect the officers from the virus, and the headsets will allow communication between officers to continue while wearing the gas masks. The Avon Protection filters that are used in these particular masks protect with 99.97% efficiency against the virus.

Council also approved the purchase of 82 Motorola APX 6000XE radios for $416,158 from Motorola Solutions, Inc. of Columbus.

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Zimmerman said the Division of Fire currently contracts with Motorola for the fire radios. Motorola informed all departments in 2018 that the current software updated through Motorola will no longer be serviced and that future software updates could affect the function of the current radios, making them inoperable.

City staff recommended purchasing the new radios and associated equipment to reduce the exposure and potential spread of COVID-19.

The radios and speakers in the amount of $330,747.00 will be covered by the CARES Act funding, while the Division of Fire would cover the remaining associated equipment in the amount of $85,411.50 will be covered from its budget.

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Ed Richter has been a working journalist for 38 years, with the last 34 years working in various capacities covering Butler and Warren counties as a reporter and an editor. Richter covers local news and governments in Warren County focusing on Springboro, Lebanon, Franklin, Carlisle and Waynesville.