By: Christian Collington, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TheIFP.ca
The Town of Halton Hills has secured $51,000 in provincial funding to help protect its firefighters, with a specific focus on reducing cancer risks.
Awarded through the Ontario Fire Safety Grant Program, the funding allows the Halton Hills Fire Department to implement new cleaning and equipment protocols that align with the National Fire Protection Association 1851 standard, which governs the selection, care and maintenance of protective gear to minimize exposure to dangerous toxins often found at fire scenes.
The grant will support two primary initiatives: an annual gear inspection program and a new particulate-blocking hood exchange.
“The town invests heavily to ensure that our firefighters have personal protective equipment to carry out their often-dangerous duties,” Mayor Ann Lawlor said in a Dec. 16 news release.
She added that “these funds from the province will help test ongoing performance and reliability of their gear.”
Under the inspection program, bunker gear will be sent to an independent service provider for deep cleaning and structural testing, ensuring the equipment maintains its integrity against intense heat while removing carcinogens that can settle into the fabric during a fire.
The department will also introduce a hood exchange system, where firefighters will receive a clean, particulate-blocking hood for every response.
Used hoods, which protect the head and neck — areas susceptible to absorbing toxins — will be swapped out immediately after use and laundered according to strict safety standards, rather than being reused while contaminated.
More information on the town’s fire safety initiatives is available on the town’s website.
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