Los Osos’ fire department is getting some new gear courtesy of Cal Fire.
Cal Fire/County Fire Sta. 15 in Los Osos will receive grant money for new gear, including new fire safe turnouts for their reserves and some new battery operated emergency equipment to address climate change.
The Los Osos Community Services District Board recently accepted a Cal Fire Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant for $15,800, covering half of a $31,700 laundry list of equipment.
In a report from North Coast Battalion Chief, Paul Provence, the request for “personal protective equipment” (PPE) for the reserves, “will outfit our Reserve Firefighter staff with a matching spec of Structural PPE to our full-time staff. This request will aid in replacement of Structural PPE that is nearing the end of its useable lifespan.”
The shopping list has six sets of PPE costing over $13,200; along with 30 pairs of gloves at $2,800.
The new equipment includes a Dewalt battery reciprocating saw; two Dewalt work lights; a Super Vac 18-inch fan for clearing smoke out; and 10 Dewalt Flex batteries. They are also buying several new fire hose nozzles.
The new battery tools are “to replace gas powered small engines,” Battalion Chief Provence said. “The goal is to reduce the greenhouse emissions produced by our daily operation and be in compliance with AB 1346, which will ban the sale of small engines in 2024.”
The new nozzles are needed for the same reason — they are old and at the end of their useful lives. “The purchase,” Battalion Chief Provence said, “will ensure that the nozzles used are of top quality and are standardized with all nozzles used on Station 15 equipment.”
The new equipment comes after the CSD board agreed to hire a structural engineer to inspect the structural integrity of the South Bay Stationhouse on Bayview Heights Drive, which is getting pretty old.
The station was built in phases, with the first phase in the 1960s and the second in the 1970s, according to a CSD report on the matter. It underwent an extensive remodeling in the early 2000s.
LOCSD General Manager Ron Munds said, “The purpose of the assessment is to provide an assessment of the functional adequacy of the facility in the short- and long-term future. The results of the assessment will be incorporated into the development of the District’s ‘Emergency Services Strategic Plan.’”
