Two local fire departments have received grants for new operations and safety equipment. 

U.S. Representative Mike Rogers announced that Pell City received $23,809.52 and Cook Springs Fire Department in Pell City received $53,761.90 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The grant was awarded under the FY 2021 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, a federal program which supports first responders across Alabama and the nation.

“St. Clair County’s first responders are who the community relies on in times of crisis,” Rogers said. “This grant will provide Pell City and Cook Springs Fire Department funding to keep the community safe." 

Pell City Fire Chief Tim Kurzejeski said the city’s grant will go towards wireless headsets for communication and hearing protection while inside the city’s five front line fire apparatus. The chief said the headsets will allow the crews to have an open route of communication with each other while filtering out the loud noise of the fire engine itself. 

“It increases the communication of our crews,” Kurzejeski said. “Which increases the safety factor when out on a call.”

The chief said the headsets also link up to the department's radio system and allow for hands free communication between firefighters outside the truck and the operator. He said the system makes it where an operator “is able to wear a headset to monitor all fire ground communication.”

Kurzejeski said the system will also allow for communications between each fire truck in cases of multiple apparatus being dispatched together, further increasing coordination and simplifying things like repositioning.

“Overall, this grant award is really focused on the safety of our crews and apparatus,” the chief said. 

Cooks Springs Fire Chief Howard Downs said he hasn’t actually received formal notification of the grant award yet, but said the volunteer department had applied for money to buy an air compressor. He said the department does not currently have a compressor of its own, 

“We had been relying on other department’s compressors,” Downs said. 

The chief said that reliance became more complicated about a year ago when Cook Springs used a grant to buy new air tanks to replace its older equipment. He said the department bought 4000 psi tanks, which are smaller and lighter, but have the added complication of being incompatible with some older compressors. Downs said the department having their own compressor that works for their tanks fixes this issue.

“It will simplify operations,” he said. 

The chief said each tank holds about 20 minutes of breathable air and needs to be refilled after use. With the new compressor Cooks Springs will be able to do that themselves without having to rely on another department.

Taylor Mitchell is a Daily Home reporter covering Pell City.

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