Support
McKean Hose Company

What Donations Pay For

• Gear That Expires

  National standards call for retiring turnout gear within ten years of its manufacture date, even if it has never been to a fire.

• Cleaning After a Fire

  After a fire, turnout gear needs a thorough cleaning. The soot on it holds chemicals that can cause cancer and can pass to a firefighter's skin, and the World Health Organization's cancer agency classifies work as a firefighter as a cause of cancer.

• Air Cylinders

  Federal rules require a pressure test on every composite air pack cylinder every five years, and they limit most of these cylinders to fifteen years of service.

• Testing Every Year

  National standards call for testing every fire pump, ground ladder and length of hose at least once a year, and again after repairs.

• Medical Supplies That Expire

  AED pads and batteries carry expiration dates, and we replace them on schedule even when nobody has used them.

• Heat for the Truck Bays

  Ice in a fire pump can crack its valves and warp its impellers. A heated bay keeps the water in the pumps from freezing between calls.

• Insurance on the Trucks

  Pennsylvania law requires every registered vehicle, fire trucks included, to carry liability coverage.

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