The Westfield Fire Dept. received a grant of $25,000-plus from the Indiana Public Employer’s Plan on Feb. 4. The grant covers 75 percent of the cost of personal protective equipment for emergency responders at Stations 81, 82 and 83.
WFD applied for the grant in 2020 and will use it to provide staff with a set of Gerber Outerwear, which meets the bloodborne pathogen impervious barrier standard. It will be available for firefighters responding to COVID-19 calls and other medical calls.
The gear also is waterproof and breathable. Personnel will be able to decontaminate, launder and reuse the gear while having a minimized back-in-service time for the next call.
A press release from WFD stated the department plans to apply for future IPEP grants to acquire gear and equipment or implement safety programs.
