Tuesday, February 15, 2011
By Amanda Pinto, Register Staff
apinto@nhregister.com
WEST HAVEN — When Allingtown firefighters respond to the scene of a serious accident, they have to wonder whether their aging “Jaws of Life” will get the job done.
The hydraulic cutting tool, used to pry apart vehicles in order to extricate injured drivers and passengers, is 22 years old. It’s worn out and not equipped to cut through metals from which the newer cars are made, Allingtown Fire Chief Peter Massaro said.
Fortunately, the department hasn’t encountered a car the “jaws” have not been able to penetrate, and likely never will.
The department recently got a $78,732 federal grant to buy a new hydraulic cutting tool, as well as more than 12,000 feet of hose that needs replacement.
Both additions will help remedy “big safety issues,” Massaro said.
“The older the hose, you never know when the pressure will fail; it could fail at any time,” he said.
U.S. Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman, I-Conn., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., recently announced that the Allingtown Fire Department got the grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grants program, which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Massaro, who learned the department would get the grant last week, said his captains have taken an extrication course, and will be researching what hydraulic cutting tool is best for the department.
Massaro submits several grant applications a year, he said. Each is a gamble, and getting one is a victory, he said.
“It helps to defer the expense to the taxpayers,” Massaro said. “It’s a great opportunity to get some money that’s out there, and will help the taxpayer and the city.”
Call Amanda Pinto at 203-789-5734. Follow us on Twitter @nhregister.
URL: http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2011/02/14/news/bb3whfiregrant021411.prt
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