JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville City Council approved nearly $31.5 million to go toward three major projects for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.
One of those projects will provide JFRD with a CO2 removal system that Fire Chief Percy Golden said will add another layer of safety to the department’s firefighter gear-cleaning routine.
Golden said the $2 million system will help remove contaminants from firefighters’ gear and reduce the amount of time it takes for the gear to be ready again.
“These CO2 extractors that we just got funded for will take it to a whole nother level,” Golden said.
Golden explained that the CO2 starts in liquid form during the cleaning process, then turns into a gas and removes contaminants from the gear.
“It’s waterless,” Golden said. “So the drying time and the readiness time for us to get back up and running is going to be at a minimum.”
Golden said the technology is important because firefighters are exposed to toxic chemicals while responding to contaminated scenes.
“Cancer is a huge risk with being a firefighter because you’re dealing with contaminated scenes, and this is just a way to make sure we mitigate that,” Golden said.
Golden said JFRD held a memorial last year after two firefighters, Ian Church and Jason Woodruff, lost their lives to cancer.
He said the new system is another step toward reducing the number of firefighters who develop cancer.
“That’s why this is huge for this city, and our men and women’s safety is top priority to me,” Golden said.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.