Pa. fire officials hope grant will help clean firehouse air

By Rob Luff Staff
Public Opinion

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — Concerned with health hazards to firefighters and members of the community, Chambersburg Fire Department officials are seeking a federal grant to install an exhaust ventilation system in the headquarters station.

Terry Osborne, Chambersburg's emergency services chief, made his annual report to Borough Council last week. He said a vehicle exhaust extrication system would help remove all remnants of diesel fuel from the engine bay.

According to Osborne, numerous cancer studies say those fumes often linger in the engine bay and can cause cancer in the people constantly exposed to them.

Contractors would install a fan in the ceiling of the engine bay, as well as a hose system that would attach to each engine's exhaust.

When the engine pulls away, the hose will slip off unharmed, but will have caught the initial fumes as it started up. Any remaining fumes will be sucked out of the bay via the fan.

The project, which officials hope to complete within the next year, could cost upwards of $130,000.

Osborne hopes to fund it with a fire grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"We are hopeful that we will get a grant," he said, "but do plan to do that project with or without the grant, because it really and truly adds to the safety of the building, by getting all those gases out of the building."

The chief has ordered several improvements to the station in the past year:

• A new epoxy floor lowers the risks of slipping as firefighters rush to a call.
• Full fire alarms are now in both fire stations.
• New electronic eyes installed on every engine bay door are expected to stop the doors from ever hitting trucks as they pull out. Occasionally a firefighter will use the remote to close the door while the truck is still pulling out, causing damage to the truck or the door.

Copyright 2009 Public Opinion
All Rights Reserved