BATTLE CREEK, Mich –
Georgia's volunteer fire departments in Taliaferro and Warren counties have expanded their operational capabilities, thanks to the DoD Firefighter Property Program and the Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services.
This collaborative effort, involving DLA Disposition Services, the US Forest Service, and state forestry agencies, grants firefighters access to surplus Department of Defense Department equipment, enabling them to acquire firefighting and emergency service resources.
Nathan Cranata, a ranger with the Georgia Forestry Commission, said one of his duties with GFC is to screen property available through the program.
While browsing the DLA Disposition Services website, Cranata discovered two trailers containing Cascade Systems, which are essential for refilling firefighters' air tanks during operations. Unlike stationary setups in firehouses, these portable units refill air tanks on-site.
"In a four-hour structure fire, a department with only 20 cylinders would exhaust its air supply. To replenish the air, they either need to transport the empty cylinders back to the station or request additional tanks," Cranata explained.
Recognizing the value of these mobile Cascade Systems, Cranata reached out to the volunteer fire departments of Taliaferro and Warren counties. Although they already had stationary cascade systems, the portable trailers offered a unique solution to their cylinder availability constraints, enhancing their readiness for immediate emergency response.
"These trailers are something neither department would have been able to afford otherwise,” Cranata said. “They each have stationary cascade systems they use, but those did not provide mobility."
He emphasized that the trailers' conditions were worth the trip, despite classification codes. Both departments decided to pick up the trailers themselves, the more cost-effective option compared to transport costs if handled by forestry.
“DLA valued the trailers at around $60,000 [original acquisition value], but the departments estimated their new cost at approximately $130,000,” Cranata said. “The acquisition of these trailers through the FFP saved taxpayers $260,000 and will enable the departments to sell their old cascade systems, funding new equipment purchases.”
He added that the impact these trailers will make goes beyond the two counties that acquired them. Surrounding areas with mutual aid agreements will also benefit when the trailers are deployed to fires in their respective aeras.