Rabun County firefighters will be safer when not fighting fires, thanks to a donation from the 100 Club of Rabun County.
“Approximately 18 months ago, Rabun County Fire Department was contacted by members of the 100 Club Of Rabun County to see if there was anything needed by firefighters of Rabun County to keep them safer,” said Assistant Chief Justin Upchurch. “We knew there was a need for a heavy duty washing machine, gear extractor and dryer to clean turnout gear used during a fire.”
The 100 Club of Rabun County donated funds to Rabun County for the purchase of a gear washer/extractor and dryer, at a cost of about $15,000 including hookups and necessary detergent/cleaning agents.
It took several months for everything to come together and have the system completely installed.
“It is now up and running perfectly,” Upchurch said. “We can now clean two sets of gear and have them back in service in approximately three hours.”
Research has shown that firefighters have a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer than the general U.S. population, according to National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health study results.
“Firefighers come into contact with higher amounts of deadly carcinogens during a normal fire, and at times crawl through and get debris all over their gear,” Upchurch said. “Rabun County firefighters are grateful to the 100 Club of Rabun for their generous donation and patience during this project.”
http://accesswdun.com/article/2020/4/891541/100-club-donates-equipment-to-rabun-county-fire-department