Westminster Firefighters Breathe a Little Easier with New Equipment

The Westminster Volunteer Fire Company has recently invested in new breathing apparatus equipment for its firefighters. The investment is not cheap--the total cost is in the ballpark of $85,000--and the department must raise the money to pay for it. 

But in the tradition of volunteer fire companies in Carroll County, communities have come to support their first responders in an effort to ensure that firefighters have what they need to do their jobs. This is true of the Westmintster Fire Company.

“It takes a lot of money to run a volunteer fire company," said Caroline Babylon, assistant treasurer of the Westminster Volunteer Fire Company. "We really appreciate the support of the Carroll County commissioners and the City of Westminster, but what really makes it work, money-wise, are donations and the support of the public.”

According to Sargeant Brian Garbutt, the new breathing apparatus equipment has several upgrades. Not only does it allow firefighters to be tracked in a fire from a central computer, but it also allows people on the outside to communicate with firefighters in a building should they need to evacuate. The central computer can also track how much air an individual firefighter has in his or her tank. 

In addition to some other upgrades, the new air tanks also offer 45 minutes of air as opposed to the last tanks, which lasted for about 30 minutes.

Chief Jim Bangard explained that the new equipment should last approximately 12 to 15 years. 

According to Bangard, Westminster Fire Company goes on about 4500 EMS calls a year and 1,500 fire calls.

"It's an ongoing thing, to maintain equipment. Next year we will look at replacing one of the medic units," Bangard said. "Our goal is to stagger upgrades so not everything is needed at one time." 

Westminster firefighters are being trained on the new equipment and Bangard said that after this initial training, a more significant training will be done to help them learn to use the equipment in a smokey, dark environment.

In addition to the purchase of 30 new breathing apparatus pieces, the Westminster Volunteer Fire Company is also expecting a new fire engine to arrive in November or December. It is currently being built and will cost close to $500,000. 

"Fundraising is a year round challenge with the Westminster Fire Company, and for all of the volunteer fire companies in Carroll County,” said Babylon, a second-generation member of the department. Babylon’s father, Dave Babylon, Jr., was the treasurer of the department for many years.

According to Babylon, there used to be a carnival to raise money for the Westminster Fire Company, but now the main fundraising event is the Big Money Raffle in May. She said that the company tries to have one fundraising activity every other month, and it also relies on an annual mail solicitation. 

“We have a long-range plan that looks at future capital needs and then we save and allocate money to meet those expectations. We have also received grants towards equipment needs, as well as loans when the purchase cost needs to be spread over time," Babylon said.

To learn more about the Westminster Fire Department or to donate, visit the website.