Earlier this year, Athens Fire Chief Al Hogan made a request to the City Council to OK the purchase of several new pieces of equipment essential to the department. The Council unanimously approved the purchase, which was in the department's budget.
Athens Fire and Rescue recently received its new compressed air bottles, face masks, automated external defibrillators and other items. Hogan told The News Courier on Monday the equipment was expected to be in service by that evening.
"If we don't have this stuff, we can't go in,” Hogan said. “It's a relief. Now we just need to make sure we get the items in service and make sure everyone is checked off on them. I think we got all that done today, so it should be on the trucks and working.”
Hogan said the compressed air bottles are SCBAs, or self-contained breathing apparatuses.