The Greeley Fire Department hopes to be more efficient with a few new tools in the toolbox following a $15,000 donation from Atmos Energy.
With the donation, the department added to its collapse and trench rescue equipment. When responding to certain calls, the department needs to stabilize the area to make sure it’s safe before crews go inside.
“It just makes our response more efficient,” Battalion Chief Brady Thomas said. “It’s so much more efficient and professional — and safer — for us to use that equipment.”
For example, if a construction worker was buried because a trench collapsed while the worker was digging a utility line, the department would make sure the trench wasn’t at further risk of collapsing before beginning the rescue. Similarly, if a vehicle crashes into a building, the department will need to stabilize the foundation before pulling the vehicle out.
Crews use the equipment, called struts and walers, to secure risky areas.
The struts are pneumatic and adjustable in length. They run perpendicular to the wall or structure that needs supported. The control equipment allows the user to set the length of the struts without having to manually adjust them.
In securing buildings, struts often work similar to a car jack, providing the support to keep the building from collapsing when the vehicle is removed.
The walers — used primarily in trench rescue situations — sit against the wall of the trench, providing extra support and spreading the force applied by the struts across the length of the wall. The struts press against the walers to keep the trench secure.
Previously, the department had used 6×6 wooden beams as walers but had since replaced that system with the updated aluminum walers. The donation from Atmos allowed the department to round out its collection.
“What we purchased with this donation was in addition to what we already had,” Thomas said. “Just to increase our capabilities.”
And while the donation came in about a year ago, it wasn’t until last week that the department was able to show off what they spent it on.
Last Friday at Fire Station 5, 4701 24th St., the department hosted a presentation with members of Atmos in attendance.
Greeley firefighters, Atmos employees and more pose in front of Greeley Fire’s collapse rescue truck Friday, Jan. 17 at Fire Station 5, 4701 W. 24th St. (Courtesy/Greeley Fire Department).“The event was a chance for Atmos to see what was purchased with the donation,” Community Education and Risk Reduction Specialist Bryan Eisen said. “And a chance for some of their people and some of our people to have a good conversation about how the equipment will be used.”
The donation is just the latest show of good will from Atmos in a long-standing relationship between the natural gas distributor and the Greeley Fire Department.
“We have a great relationship with them,” Eisen said. “They support us, and we support them. They manage a lot of the natural gas out here, so when we have a gas line break or something, it’s nice to have such a great working relationship with them.”
And while Atmos may have a particular interest in the department’s trench rescue, Thomas said the donation wasn’t earmarked specifically for that specialty.
“They said, ‘We want to support you guys however you see fit,’ ” Thomas said. “Quite honestly, it just seemed like the right thing to do. With how much they dig, it was a good opportunity to both make sure Atmos workers are safe, as well as help them understand what we’re using it for.”
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