At the Nov. 27 Pleasant Township Board of Trustees meeting, Fire Chief Jay Noojin requested to the board that he be able to purchase a RIT kit, as all the other departments in the surrounding areas have their own.
"This kit is for the safety of our firefighters," he said.
Each fire department has a Rapid Intervention Team. The National Fire Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires that two additional firefighters be stationed outside while others are working in hazardous atmospheres in order to intervene in the event of an emergency. Some of those emergencies include being trapped, becoming lost or disoriented while fighting a structure fire and when your oxygen pressure regulator is running low.
"It has an additional air bottle with regulators, a mask, a rope pouch and a hose," Noojin said. "It will enable a firefighter to rescue another firefighter in case anything happens."
The Pleasant Township Fire Department employs 10 full-time firefighters and 53 part-time firefighters, including volunteers.
The board approved the request for the kit purchase and Noojin said he will get them as soon as possible.
In other news:
Speaking on behalf of the entire PTFD, Noojin wanted to thank the families of John Ball and Kenneth Miller, as well as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 11208 for their support towards the purchase of a C-PAP.
The C-PAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) provides a constant airflow, which holds the airway open without having to insert a tube, so that uninterrupted breathing is maintained.
"Having something donated by these associations and families means a lot to this department," said Noojin.
