WITC Loans Vital Firefighting Equipment to La Pointe Fire Department after Devastating Fire
In a swift response to the La Pointe Fire Department’s devastating fire, WITC delivered a trailer full of vital firefighting equipment including air packs, (self-contained breathing apparatus), as well as the cascade air fill system to refill them, among other items. The loaned equipment will allow fire fighters to respond to fire emergencies on the island. The equipment comes from the WITC-Ashland Campus and was delivered Wednesday, March 6.
WITC sent a firefighting training trailer containing the following:
- 10 self-contained breathing apparatus air packs
- A cascade air fill system to refill used air bottles
- A generator
- A gas powered fan to ventilate buildings with compromised atmospheres
- A compliment of hand tools including axes, flashlights, forcible entry tools and others
“The air packs and fill system are critical. Few, if any, fire departments have enough of these items to be able to share with a neighbor. We were uniquely positioned to assist with this essential need. We felt we needed to provide assistance and equipment as quickly as possible as there’s no way to predict when emergencies will occur,” said Tim Halbur, Associate Dean of Fire Fighting and Technical Rescue at WITC. “WITC strives to be a partner to fire departments in our district, and this is a very direct way that we are providing a service.”
WITC provides regular training to local fire departments throughout the northwest Wisconsin district including ice rescue, hazmat ops, confined space rescue, advanced firefighting skills, fire investigation and more.
