The Hartford Fire Department is unveiling a new self-contained breathing apparatus for firefighters across the city.
The new packs have tracking devices on them, allowing the department to know where each firefighter is within a burning building. It also can record up to 2,000 events.
The tanks are also bigger and are rated to provide 45 minutes of air, instead of 30 minutes.
"We are very excited about it. It is a big step for us and we think it is going to make a big difference out in the field," said Chief Scott Brady, Hartford Fire Department.
The department ordered 150 packs and 400 bottles, totaling $1.6 million in new equipment.
Much of that money came from a Federal Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant, as well as some assistance from Hartford’s General Fund and a Community Development Block Grant.
"Very excited. Systems that we are training on, big time upgrades, we got the heads up display now so it gives you a first warning," James Loura, a Hartford firefighter, said.
Chief Brady said the department began the process to get this new technology in 2013 and they secured the federal grant just before firefighter Kevin Bell died in 2014.
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Bell got trapped in a fire on Oct. 7, 2014 and died of asphyxiation.
A federal investigation found that Bell was running low on oxygen. After the fire, the low-air alarm on his breathing tank failed a test, but Hartford officials said the alarm activated during the fire.
The state labor department handed the city of Hartford citations.
Those violations included a lack of medical evaluations of firefighters on the line, failure to ensure firefighters wore helmets properly with chin straps, failure to "fit test" members for their breathing apparatus, failure to properly test air bottles that enable firefighters to breathe at a fire scene and failure to require all firefighters to wear protective fire-resistant hoods.
Chief Brady said he does not believe the packs would have made a difference in Bell’s death, but thinks they can make a difference going forward.
