© Provided by WNEM Saginaw Grand Blanc fire department
GRAND BLANC, Mich. (WNEM) – A local fire department has some new tools to use to battle smoke and flames.
Grand Blanc fire chief Don Schreiber explained how a grant and some private donations will make a difference in the community.
“We were very excited here,” Schreiber said. He is thrilled to have some new firefighting equipment, thanks to a recent grant from the Grand Blanc Community Fund.
The department will have a battery-operated positive pressure fan, which can be set up by one firefighter to quickly clear smoke from inside a structure.
“There’s been instances where you go into a building and you can’t see your hand in front of your face.” He explains, “With this fan, if it’s set up properly, and the ventilation is started as soon as you get on scene, you can darn near walk right into the seed of the fire.”
Two sure foot safety platforms, which attach to roof ladders, were also purchased with the money.
“That just makes it safer for firefighters on the roof when they’re doing any time of cutting or standing, especially with the winter season coming up, snow on the roof,” Schriber said.
That’s not all. He said that more new equipment came by way of a private citizen, along with Elga Credit Union, Frankenmuth Credit Union, 100 Club, and the Grand Blanc Chamber of Commerce.
Schreiber said, “One of the residents here, specifically in the city, donated a significant amount of money. That allowed us to get a cascade system installed on our squad, which refills the air bottles that the firefighters use on scene.”
Something that would’ve cost the department $20,000, Schreiber says these are excellent firefighting tools that he is honored to deploy when the need arises.
“With the support of these grants and different organizations that support the grant funding, it’s so beneficial. Can’t thank them enough,” he said.
Securing grant funding for new equipment is all part of the effort to save lives and property.