Turkey Creek Fire Territory executive board unanimously approved $30,000 to replace the fire department’s 20-year-old SCBA equipment.

The funds will come from the department’s equipment replacement fund.

Changes in the governing National Fire Protection Association standards necessitate the upgrade.

The standards now dictate the low pressure alarm on air cylinders sound when the operating pressure is at 33 percent rather than 25 percent.

Technology has also outpaced the older equipment. Facepiece lens durability has been improved, speech transmissibility has been enhanced and personal alert safety systems and tracking systems have now been integrated into the outfits.

The department will replace its 30-minute air bottles with 45-minute bottles. The new composite bottles are more lightweight and smaller than the ones currently in use.

“The new bottles will improve firefighter maneuverability in space restricted environments,” reported Fire Chief Mickey Scott.

“The new SCBAs will have buddy breathing and rapid intervention team capability to aid a firefighter in trouble,” he said. “The SCBAs being replaced do not have this capability.”

Scott added, “The high pressure hose which provides air from the SCBA bottle to the firefighter is located inside the main frame on the new SCBAs. The ones being replaced have the high pressure hose outside the main frame, thereby increasing the possibility of the hose being punctured, cut, torn or becoming snagged on objects.”

Scott also reported:

• The department made 101 emergency runs in February (19 fire calls and 82 EMS calls). Property loss during the month totaled $5,500; the department saved approximately $107,000 in property value during their responses.

• Budget expenditures totaled 10.8 percent of allocations with 16.7 percent of the year elapsed.

• Department personnel attended 317.5 hours of training in February, including classes on air boat operations, equipment usage and maintenance, winter driving techniques, firefighter self-survival tactics, forcible entry techniques and incident command procedures.

• The department provided EMS standby for the Polar Plunge at Lakeside Park, and entered a four-person team into the event.

• A mandated annual ground ladder and aerial testing is scheduled for March 29.

“We continue to conduct pre-plans for businesses and locations within our response area,” said Scott.

“These pre-plans are very beneficial to our department in the event of an emergency situation.” Items included in the plan are locations and access to the closest fire hydrants, determination of flow rates and information necessary to effectively facilitate mutual aid, if needed.

The state of Indiana will conduct a tornado drill at 10:15 a.m. and 7:35 p.m. Tuesday, March 22. In the event of threatening weather that day, the test will be conducted Wednesday, March 23.

“We will activate the outdoor warning sirens for three minutes during these times,” said Scott.

“This is a good time to practice your individual or family tornado drill,” he said. “You should go down to your basement and do all you would do in a real situation.

“Make sure you have lights, supplies and a radio that works. Remember you could lose your cellphone if the cellphone towers are taken down” by the storm, he said.

The board next meets at 6:45 p.m. Monday, April 11, at Syracuse Town Hall.