PIQUA – The Piqua Fire Department last week donated dozens of pieces of retired structural firefighting gear to the First Responders Academy at Upper Valley Career Center.
The donation included at least 19 pants, 18 coats, five helmets and 10 pairs of gloves. Based on requirements from The National Fire Protection Agency, Piqua Fire Department protective gear is retired 10 years from the manufacture date to ensure the safety of firefighters.
“This donation will allow our students to feel the weight and bulk of the firefighting gear while performing non-live fire drills,” UVCC Instructional Supervisor Tim Cordonnier said. “There is no substitute for experiencing the real equipment students would be using in the career, and we thank the Piqua Fire Department for affording our students that invaluable opportunity.”
The First Responders Program at UVCC is new this school year and is designed to help high school students develop a wide range of skills needed to become a firefighter, emergency medical technician or law enforcement officer.
“We are happy to provide this retired protective gear to local students who are exploring a career to serve our community in such a vital way,” Piqua Fire Department Assistant Chief Paul Brown said. “We are happy to support UVCC’s program and local students who we will welcome to the field in the future.”
For more information about Upper Valley Career Center, visit uppervalleycc.org. For more information about the Piqua Fire Department, visit piquaoh.gov
