The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Fire Marshal has awarded Brookfield Fire Department $15,000 through the 2026 Equipment Grant and Training Reimbursement Program, the department said.
Brookfield Fire Chief David Masirovits said the money has been used to order three battery-operated positive pressure fans.
“These will assist us in removing smoke and odors from buildings and help cool firefighters during rehabilitation on hot/humid days,” the chief said.
The department has one such fan. “We have found that the lack of need for power and or gasoline make them much easier to start, as there is also no need to carry fuel and cords, just rechargeable batteries.”
The lack of a cord eliminates a tripping hazard, and the fans “will not blow harmful fumes like carbon monoxide,” Masirovits said. “Water, soot, broken glass and other jagged rough surfaces destroyed the heavy duty cords that were once needed to run the older style electric fans.”
“These new fans are the wave of the future for sure, and now Brookfield will be completely equipped with this state of the art equipment,” Masirovits said.
The department also was awarded a $1,000 grant from the Ohio Township Risk Management Agency, which it used to buy gloves and hoods the firefighters wear at fire scenes.
