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Grant funds EMS gear to protect county medics

Fayette County emergency crews will be getting new Emergency Medical Services turnout gear thanks to a federal grant.

The gear is an upgrade from the current gear used by county EMS crews, as it will protect medics from blood borne pathogens, said Capt. Pete Nelms of the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

The new gear will provide a barrier to keep bodily fluid and blood borne pathogens away from the medics, Nelms said.

By using special turnout gear for EMS crews, it will reduce the wear on the firefighters’ turnout gear currently used during EMS situations such as motor vehicle accidents and other medical calls, Nelms said. The EMS turnout gear will not be used when responding to structure fires, Nelms added.

The $64,875 grant comes from the Assistance to Firefighters grant program from the federal Department of Homeland Security, the office of Homeland Security and the U.S. Fire Administration, Nelms said. This is the third grant the county has received from the program, with the grand total nearly half a million dollars, Nelms noted.

Previous grants paid for new self-contained breathing apparatus used by firefighters which have better communications and safety features in addition to the fire-retardant duty uniforms for firefighters.