Fire stations report delays and damage to air packs; staff urges priority servicing

At a recent fire commission meeting, a station representative reported significant delays and some damage in the third‑party servicing of self‑contained breathing apparatus and related rescue gear, urging that emergency equipment be prioritized over nonemergency customers.

The presenter said 80 air packs were sent for service over two days but that turnaround stretched into the evening after a contractor left before finishing, forcing station crews to wait. The presenter said they had discussed the problem with the EMS director and quoted Chief Coleman confirming receipt: "Hey, we got it." The presenter added that some packs "have seen their last leg" and one pack in Indian Land was taken out of service.

The presenter asked that vendors give emergency service work precedence over churches and other agencies that pay their own bills, saying the county relies on third‑party inspections of air packs and Hurst tools so there is an accountability record if problems occur. "We asked for a 12‑hour turnaround," the presenter said, describing the target response time the department had sought.

A meeting participant asked whether an "extended" set of air bags had been purchased for certain stations. The presenter said Traysville used last year’s equipment funds to buy a larger set (cited by the presenter as about $6,000 for Traysville) and that Spell Town, Riverside and Traysville purchased V‑Force low‑pressure air bags with their equipment money. "I'll have them sitting on the table waiting on y'all," the presenter said, quoting Brooks describing local pickup arrangements.

The presenter apologized for the delays and said the department would service equipment in‑house if it were feasible, but current practice relies on a third party for inspections and certification. The chair asked the group to keep members Sam Fowler and Garrett Chapman in their prayers as they travel to Atlanta for a competition and noted an awards ceremony the next day.

No motions or votes on equipment policy or procurement appear in the transcript. The presenter said they would continue to press for faster turnaround and prioritized servicing of emergency gear so packs can return to stations for calls.