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  • Volunteers from the Morris Fire Department, above, use a new K-12 saw on Wednesday to cut into a car during a demonstration of new equipment purchased with a $5,000 grant from the Cawaco Resource Conservation and Development Council. Danielle Pelkey

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September 6, 2010

Morris FD gets new emergency items

By Melanie Patterson The North Jefferson News

MORRIS — The Morris Fire Department received new equipment recently that firefighters have already put to use.

Thanks to a $5,000 grant from Cawaco Resource Conservation and Development Council, the department has a new K-12 saw, eight new air masks and several nozzles.

Lt. Rocky Bell said the department has already used the masks during fires, and has used the saw during training sessions on a burning house.

Volunteer firefighters also demonstrated the saw on a car Wednesday during a press conference at the fire hall.

“That’s a new piece of equipment for us. It will help us with our ISO rating,” Bell said. “Everything was upgraded for us. Some of our equipment was 20 years old.”

Bell said the rescue saw is safer to use than other saws and can be used to ventilate a roof or cut a hole into any metal building, such as a Butler building or garage.

It can also be used to gain access into a vehicle, but Bell said the K-12 is better used as a secondary method to regular extrication tools because the K-12 creates sparks.

“We are so pleased with Cawaco for helping smaller communities,” said Sen. Scott Beason, R-17th at the press conference. “We also want to commend the Morris Fire Department for doing what they needed to do to receive this grant money.”

State Rep. Allen Treadaway, R-51st, said it is more difficult for public safety agencies to get funding during a downturn in the economy.

“This illustrates how important it is to get funding in those areas that need it,” he said.

Bell and his wife wrote the grant along with Lt. Ralph Burgess of the Morris Fire Department.

— Danielle Pelkey contributed to this report

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