TITUSVILLE, Fla. — Titusville firefighters are breathing easier and are now better prepared to protect the public.
- City Council approves $400,000 for firefighters' new air packs
- The fire department's old ones were nearly a quarter-century old
- More Brevard County coverage
Titusville City Council approved $400,000 in funds to replace the fire department's nearly quarter-century-old air packs.
Now, crews are training to use 40 new ones, 100 air bottles, and 65 masks.
The new packs provide more air and low-pressure alarms that signal quicker, allowing firefighters more of a heads up to get to safety during fires.
Each pack also has its own thermal-imaging camera to find and help victims.
"It's a great morale booster to know you have what you need to do your job," says Battalion Chief Gregory Sutton of the Titusville Fire Department.
The packs also boast “buddy breathers” — a hose included in each air-pack that allows firefighters to connect to each other’s packs when they are running low on air.