OLEEN — The final piece of federal COVID-19 aid to the city is to make firefighters breathe a little easier.
The Common Council has approved the application of $100,000 from the 2021 US Rescue Planning Act funds to the reserve account. This allowed the city’s fire department to purchase approximately $254,000 in self-contained breathing units and oxygen cylinders for the fire department.
D-Ward 5 Council Chair John Crawford said:
Funds and dealer funds will be used to replace the air supply of 26 breathing systems, 66 air bottles and 2 emergency intervention teams to provide emergency air. We will also convert our current 40 breathing systems and city bottle filling stations to use the new quarter Twist Air bottles. Vendor is Churchville Fire Equipment and sales are under sole distributorship agreement. The ARPA funds will serve as a down payment and the rest will be loaned through Churchville at an interest rate of 4.33%.
Fire Chief Tim Richardson told city council a week ago that the payments are expected to be around $3,000 a month, similar to the department’s heart monitor payments, which will end in June.
The city has applied unsuccessfully for federal grants to cover costs this year and in 2021, he added.
The City received approximately $1.4 million from ARPA and paid it out in two installments in July 2021 and July 2022.
Other businessthe council also approved $25,000 to purchase approximately 90 water meters from the Water Authority’s emergency fund.
Brad Camp, the city’s water and wastewater superintendent, said the purchase will go toward replacing a working water meter if it fails.
“We currently have 12 in stock. We have 100 in stock and would like to order more,” Camp said, adding that battery-powered radio units typically require replacement due to neglect or age. rice field. “Batteries die and winter is hard for them.”
The city switched to remote reporting water meters in 2010. Camp said the meter’s battery life is typically 10 to 15 years.
“Now we are entering a period where batteries start to die,” he said, and expects to replace more of the city’s about 6,000 working meters over the next few years.
Currently, the city will replace the meter for free if the battery dies, but if a replacement is required due to damage or neglect, the customer will be billed, Camp said.
