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Jun 13, 2024

Fire Department in line for gear, vehicle upgrades

How would you like to run across a rut-filled field under a scorching mid-summer sun, in full firefighter gear, to fight a blazing wildfire? Maybe not as much as if you had more proper attire. That’s

How would you like to run across a rut-filled field under a scorching mid-summer sun, in full firefighter gear, to fight a blazing wildfire?

Maybe not as much as if you had more proper attire.

That’s the idea behind half of a set of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources grants the City of Stoughton is accepting on behalf of the Stoughton Fire Department for wildland gear, as well as replacing the aging tank and pump unit on the department’s six-wheeled ATVs. Stoughton City Council members unanimously approved accepting the grants at their Tuesday, Oct. 10 meeting. The grants are a 50-50 split with the DOT, with the city paying $14,095 out of Fire Department funds allocated in the 2023 Capital Improvements Plan budget.

Stoughton Fire Department Chief Josh Ripp told council members that both of the items would be useful for firefighters, including replacing a slip-in pump for the department’s ATVs that’s nearly older than some of the members.

“It’s just shy of 20 years old and there's some corrosion issues in the water tank,” he explained. “The repair shop has told us ‘don't bring it back, we've repaired it as much as we can and we can't do any more.’”

Ripp said the specially designed new personal protective equipment would help firefighters do their jobs more effectively - and safely - when out in the field.

“(It’s) some lighter gear - boots, helmets and everything for people wildland firefighting,” he said. “As we’re traversing across the fields and everywhere, our normal gear is very heavy, and imagine trying to run across a field in a snowsuit in 80 degree weather; it’s kind of hard on everyone, so we have this other gear that just makes life a lot easier.”

Contact editor Scott De Laruelle at [email protected]

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