By Joan Aguon Charfauros
Copyright kuam
50 new life-saving tools are now in the hands of Guam’s firefighters. The Guam Fire Department unveiled brand-new breathing apparatus sets this week—equipment leaders say will keep first responders safer as they protect our island.
When firefighters run toward danger, they depend on the very best equipment to bring them home safe. Now, thanks to a federal grant, Guam’s fire crews have received a major upgrade.
It’s a major boost for Guam’s first responders. GFD has acquired 50 brand-new self-contained breathing apparatus sets, purchased through $450,000 in federal funding from the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority’s Community Development Block Grant Program. Each set includes one harness, two bottles, two masks, and a voice amplifier—designed to give firefighters the protection and confidence they need in fire suppression and rescue missions.
GFD Fire Chief Daren Burrier told KUAM News, “We are excited to be able to get these equipment for our personnel. The SCBAs are able to deliver compressed air to a firefighter when they enter a toxic environment that they would not be able to survive in. These are items that have a short lifespan; I mean, we get brand new ones and in about five years you’re going to see them start to look old and we are going to need new ones.”
Firefighters depend on reliable equipment to keep them safe while protecting the community. These SCBAs are a critical upgrade to our life-saving gear and ensure our personnel can respond to emergencies with the highest level of confidence and protection. The new equipment replaces aging units that have been in service well beyond their recommended lifespan. Fire officials say the investment brings Guam in line with national safety standards and significantly improves protection for firefighters.
Acting Governor Josh Tenorio said, “For people who work in your agency this is 24/7/365. GHURA and GFD are long standing partners. A lot of the fire stations were built by GHURA at different times throughout the course of the existence of our government. As Fernando [Esteves] says, having the Congress recognize that different funding options should be flexible to support the work of the fire departments throughout the country is a key pivotal recognition of how dependent and how reliable we should be as fire departments, as the government, to make sure that we have the best equipment that we could provide to our first responders.”
When our firefighters answer a call, they’re often running into danger when everyone else is running out. Their courage is extraordinary, but courage alone is not enough. They deserve the very best tools to do their job and make it home safely to their families.”
Tenorio called the new SCBAs an investment in the safety of the island, a promise to firefighters’ families, and a reminder of what can be achieved through federal partnerships and community support.
The Guam Fire Department expressed gratitude to GHURA and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development for funding the project, saying the upgraded gear reinforces a shared commitment to public safety and resilience.
