Columbus Fire Department donates equipment to DACC

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The City of Columbus Fire Department recently donated 75 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), 100 face pieces, and five rapid intervention crew packs to the firefighting students at the Delaware Area Career Center.

DACC Firefighting Instructor Kevin Murphy said the SCBA packs are the equipment that firefighters breath through when they enter a burning building to avoid inhaling dangerous matter in the air and said that the students in the firefighting program at the DACC use the real equipment when training.

Murphy said the packs aren’t cheap and typically cost close to $5,000 for the SCBA and a face piece. He said the massive donation from the Columbus Fire Department saved the DACC between $500,000 and $600,000.

Murphy said the firefighting program roster has 25 juniors, 16 seniors, and 29 adult students and said the students will now be able to use the same packs every day instead of having to rotate the packs between classes.

“I think this helps us a lot because we each get our own individual packs,” said Hannah Hayslip, an Olentangy Orange High School senior enrolled in the program. “We don’t have to worry about wasting time sharing a pack with a partner.”

Joseph Hibbits, a senior from Centerburg High School, said that each student having their own pack is a huge improvement because it cuts down on the amount of time spent each day just re-configuring the equipment used by previous classes.

“Last year we didn’t have our own. Last year, seniors used ours and so did adult ed,” Hibbits said. “Each day, we would have to go over them and check them and a lot of times things would be messed up from other people using them.”

Murphy said many pieces of equipment in the firefighting program were donated — from the fire trucks all the way down to the face pieces.

“We wouldn’t be able to function in the size we have without Columbus Fire,” Murphy said. “If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be able to have as many students.”

One advantage to using donated equipment, Murphy noted, is that it gives students hands-on time with the equipment professionals use.

“A student is able to walk into a fire house after the completion of this training and they already know the inner workings of the equipment,” Murphy said. “The practical application is huge. Real practical application is important.”

According to Murphy, the Columbus Fire Department also donates equipment to many schools in Central Ohio and said they don’t throw anything away. Murphy said the donations are also a positive for Columbus because many firefighting students will gravitate towards the City of Columbus Fire Department when looking for a job.

“It’s an advantage for both parties,” Murphy said.

Murphy said the equipment will last a few years because the students use it during many exercises and it has to endure running into cement, gravel, carpet, and metal constantly.

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Senior firefighting students Joseph Hibbits, left, Hannah Hayslip, center, and Parker Shope retrieve a ladder Tuesday while wearing self-contained breathing apparatus equipment donated by the City of Columbus Fire Department. The students can change from regular attire into their full suit in less than two minutes.

http://www.delgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2017/09/web1_DSC_0544.jpg

Senior firefighting students Joseph Hibbits, left, Hannah Hayslip, center, and Parker Shope retrieve a ladder Tuesday while wearing self-contained breathing apparatus equipment donated by the City of Columbus Fire Department. The students can change from regular attire into their full suit in less than two minutes. Glenn Battishill | The Gazette

Hannah Hayslip, right, and Parker Shope unload a negative pressure fan from the back of a fire truck in full gear Tuesday during an exercise. Fire instructor Kevin Murphy said all of the equipment used in the DACC firefighting course is donated from various local fire departments.
http://www.delgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2017/09/web1_DSC_0552.jpgHannah Hayslip, right, and Parker Shope unload a negative pressure fan from the back of a fire truck in full gear Tuesday during an exercise. Fire instructor Kevin Murphy said all of the equipment used in the DACC firefighting course is donated from various local fire departments. Glenn Battishill | The Gazette
Columbus Fire Department donates gear to DACC

By Glenn Battishill

[email protected]

Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903 or on Twitter @BattishillDG.

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