A western Maine town has ordered its fire department to stop fighting fires “until further notice” after learning the department’s old gear no longer met the legally required standard.
Selectmen in Limington made the decision on Saturday morning upon discovering Friday that the department’s helmets, jackets, pants and boots were two or three years past National Fire Protection Association’s recommended age of 10 years, Selectman Bruce Rozett said. Maine law requires departments to meet or exceed the NFPA’s standards for protective clothing and helmets.
The majority of the 20 volunteer department’s suits — or “turnout gear” — was purchased in 2005 and 2006, Rozett said. The town became aware of that on Friday, he said, when the assistant fire chief was going over paperwork following the recent retirement of Limington’s longtime fire chief on March 5.
It’s not clear how many suits the town needs to purchase, but each costs about $2,800, Rozett said.
Until they can replace their gear, the town’s emergency personnel will only respond to medical emergency calls, Rozett said.
In the meantime, Limington will rely on departments in neighboring towns to put out its fires and respond to motor vehicle accidents — which account for the bulk of the department’s calls.
“But I expect within a few days, we’ll be back in full service,” Rozett said.
Of the town’s 179 fire calls last year, only eight were structure fires, according to the town’s annual report.
As a short term solution, the town could rent or borrow gear to suit its approximately 20 volunteer firefighters, who aren’t allowed to even drive a truck out of the station without full protective gear, Rozett said.
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