A little will be going a long way to help Renfrew’s Fire Department protect its crew.
Fire Chief Mike Guest made a small announcement as part of Tuesday night’s council meeting, revealing that Renfrew is one of a number of communities set to get a hand keeping firefighters safe from hazardous materials from a new provincial initiative.
The Renfrew Fire Department’s share of the fund is worth just over $8,230 and has already been set aside for a few specific pieces of equipment, including particulate blocking flash hoods.
Chief Guest’s report on the fund highlights why that item is particularly important; firefighters immediately come in contact with cancer-causing carcinogenic particles when they set foot on the scene of a fire, adding that those toxins are just as harmful when absorbed through the skin as they are when inhaled.
Traditional knitted hoods can let those toxins accumulate on the neck, jaw, and throat, key areas that will be better protected thanks to the purchase of the new equipment.
The Ontario government announced the three-year, $30 million Fire Protection Grant as part of their 2024 budget.