New self-containing breathing apparatuses were approved for purchase by council this week in Wellington North.

Chief Chris Harrow told council in the meeting the chosen brand, MSA, had a leg up on Scott, the secondary option, after simulated use by firefighters.

Both types of SCBA were 4,500 PSI versions. Most field devices are 4,500 PSI now in the field. Harrow explained it is the new industry standard. He says part of what made the MSA a great option was improved battery life, better so than what Scott had to offer.

"With the Scott you have C batteries in it that you have to continually replace. With the MSA there's battery packs with each air pack," Harrow stated.

"They're good for two to three months then you can rotate them out and charge batteries. The batteries are on constant rotation so you never have to replace the batteries," he added.

Harrow went on to say there are other added benefits involving air level tracking.

"The ability to tie the MSA to another piece of equipment we have called thermal imaging cameras. You can tie into that and on the screen it'll tell you how much air you have left in the tank," Harrow said.

"So you don't have to keep checking, you're looking at your thermal imaging camera while you're inside. So, that's another really good feature," he wrapped up.

Council will pay $381,497.00 plus HST for the new fire tools.

The MSA has a 15 year life span, said Harrow. He also noted there should only be minor repairs within that time frame, namely to gauges and valves.

The next step will be a tender document that is being issued through Minto. There will be two compressor and fill stations, one in Mount Forest. The other will be at the Palmerston station.

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