Gatesville fire department gets grant for new breathing gear
Gatesville firefighters will replace key breathing gear with a $27,470 grant that paid for 25 facepieces and two MSA G1 air packs.
New breathing gear is heading to the Gatesville Fire Department after a $27,470 grant from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation paid for 25 MSA self-contained breathing apparatus facepieces and two MSA G1 SCBA air packs. The equipment gives firefighters the air support they need in smoke, heat and other hazardous conditions, strengthening response across Gatesville and the surrounding Coryell County area.
The department said the new gear helps ensure crews are better equipped to serve the city and nearby communities when calls stretch beyond city limits. That matters in a county where fire scenes, storm damage and other emergencies can quickly strain local resources and mutual-aid partners. SCBA gear is a core piece of fire-service equipment because it lets responders work in dangerous environments while carrying breathable air.
The grant also shows how much local fire protection depends on outside funding for expensive protective equipment. Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation says its mission is to help first responders and public safety organizations acquire lifesaving equipment and resources. The foundation was created in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, and it lists self-contained breathing apparatus as one of the most frequently used tools in the fire service. Its equipment guide puts the cost of an SCBA at about $5,000, underscoring that the Gatesville award covered a substantial purchase rather than a small add-on.
Gatesville firefighters thanked the foundation, the Firehouse Subs restaurant in Temple and other donors for helping cover the purchase. The new gear is a practical upgrade for day-to-day readiness, especially on calls where air quality, visibility and heat can turn a routine response into a dangerous one. For residents, it means firefighters can arrive with fresher, better-fitting breathing equipment for the kinds of emergencies that can unfold in Gatesville and across the wider county response area.
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