Oakland Township

Fire Department receives grant

By Linda Shepard
C & G Staff Writer

OAKLAND TOWNSHIP — Thanks to a U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistance to Firefighters grant, township firefighters will have a new self-contained breathing apparatus filling station.

The $37,000 grant, along with six other grants to Michigan fire departments, is aimed at helping address specific equipment, training, staffing and other needs.

According to Oakland Township Fire Chief Bill Benoit, the filling station will be used to fill breathing apparatuses. “It is a part of firefighter gear,” Benoit said. “A pack is like an underwater scuba tank. Every firefighter wears a tank when they go into fire, and there is a lot of smoke, so they can breathe. The filling station is for filling up the bottles.”

The current breathing apparatus filling station department uses is 17 years old. “We also applied for a grant to replace all of our tanks and packs,” Benoit said. The price tag for the new tanks and packs is $160,000. “We are still waiting to hear” on that grant request, he said.

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow announced the grant in a release Jan. 19, along with grants for fire departments in Niles, Monroe, Southgate, Reed City, Davisburg and Southfield.

“These grants will allow our hard-working firefighters to do their job to the best of their ability,” Stabenow said. “They provide an essential service to our communities, and we need to ensure that they have what they need to protect themselves and protect our families.”

The Oakland Township Fire Department relies on paid-on-call firefighters for staffing. “We are always looking for qualified applicants for paid-on-call firefighters,” Benoit said. Those interested in applying for the position should call Benoit at (248) 651-6930.

The fire prevention division of the Oakland Township Fire Department provides fire safety programs to children in the local schools, Scout troops, church groups, and other organizations in Oakland Township. On average, more than 900 students receive instruction on an annual basis.

Those who have any questions or would like to host a fire prevention program can call (248) 650-8605.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Linda Shepard at lshepard@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1065.