Walnut Grove Fire Department Receives an OSHA Grant

 A guest post by LMCIT Loss Control Field Consultant Troy Walsh

Did you know that Minnesota OSHA grants will help with fire department personal protective equipment (PPE)?

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) sets standards, and the NFPA 1851 Standard discusses the 10-year life cycle of firefighter PPE. The full title of the standard is NFPA 1851 – Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting. 

The City of Walnut Grove Fire Department has been working towards updating some of its current PPE that is beyond its 10-year life. The fire department developed a list of all the PPE that needed to be within the 10-year replacement period. Turnout gear including helmets, self-contained breathing apparatus hoods, coats, pants, boots, and gloves were all inventoried and inspected as to their safe operating condition.  

The department found that 22 of their 25 helmets, 16 of their 25 pairs of boots, and two full sets of turnout gear (coats & pants) were expired. These are not cheap items in these quantities, and the cost doesn’t always fit into the annual budget. The department started to look at funding options and found that Minnesota OSHA has a 50/50 Grant Program that would include firefighter PPE: 

Workplace Safety and Health Safety Grant Program 

Guest blogger Troy Walsh

The Walnut Grove Fire Department applied and was awarded a 50/50 matching grant from Minnesota OSHA. The department now has a list of items that need to be replaced to ensure that the firefighter PPE follows the 10-year life cycle standard. The fire department has also looked at potentially adding additional funds to the annual budget to replace PPE on a yearly basis to ensure that they are cycling PPE out prior to the 10-year life expiration. 

Congratulations to the Walnut Grove Fire Department on their Minnesota OSHA Safety Grant!

Remember: Responder Safety = Public Safety

Up next: Body-Worn Camera Audits

Stay safe,
Troy