Des Moines Fire Department Receives Grant Awards To Improve Firefighter Health and Safety

Press Release

Des Moines, Iowa- Friday, September 20, 2024 - The Des Moines Fire Department will soon implement new measures in its stations designed with the health of its firefighters in mind. The Des Moines Fire Department has been awarded grant funding from two separate grant programs to fund the health and safety improvements.

"These grants provide an opportunity to make our fire stations safer for our most valuable resource - our firefighters," Des Moines Fire Chief John TeKippe said. "These measures represent another step forward as we work to improve safety in the working environment of our firefighters."

The Des Moines Fire Department has secured a Community Betterment Grant from Prairie Meadows, amounting to $32,327. This funding will be used to acquire a Solo Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Decon Washer. The Solo Decon unit is designed to deliver a more comprehensive decontamination of SCBAs and other firefighting equipment.

By significantly reducing the exposure to contaminants and chemicals that would otherwise linger on clothing, masks, and breathing apparatuses, this unit will play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of DMFD firefighters. This unit will be housed at the DMFD admin building making it available for firefighters from all 11 stations. The unit will also be made available for use by other metro area fire departments, further extending its impact in Central Iowa.

Additionally, the Des Moines Fire Department was recently awarded $507,375 through the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG). AFG funds will purchase and install Source Capture Exhaust Systems (SCES) at nine fire stations. SCESs utilize tubes connected to the tailpipe of engines, trucks, and ambulances while parked in the station, to direct toxic fumes out of the vehicle bay and away from living quarters.

With over 63,000 engine starts to respond to emergency calls annually, these SCESs will provide significant protection from unnecessary exposure to chemicals and contaminants. With the installation of SCESs at nine stations, in addition to the one at newly built Station 11 and the one planned for the under construction Station 4, all stations across the City of Des Moines will be equipped with this health preserving technology when this project is complete. These two awarded projects mark a significant step in the Des Moines Fire Department's ongoing commitment to prioritize the health and wellbeing of over three hundred firefighters and staff.