Hopatcong Fire Department to Upgrade Suits

Hopatcong's fire department will soon feel more confident when it answers a call.

That's because recently the borough approved of the purchase of 35 new fire suits for $80,000 as part of a two-year project to outfit the department with new gear. The borough also ordered 35 last year for the approximately 70-member squad.

Fire Chief Mike Rahill said the department's old suits were falling apart—holes in the knees and rips at the bottoms of pants, padding worn away in other areas.

"So, what we've been doing when gear got damaged was repairing it or buying a new component," Rahill said. "But over the years standards have changed and we were trying to build on that safety, but the the gear just wasn't cutting it.

"Fixing them was getting pricey," he continued. "It didn't offer the savings you'd get over life of new gear."

Rahill said the new suits feature extra pockets for radios and alarms the department must carry. But, most importantly, the new suits help firefighters maintain regular body temperatures in extreme conditions.

"It's got a vapor barrier that's designed to not make the firefighter ridiculously hot in the summer time but enough protection in the cold," Rahill said. "When you're inside a burning house, it's hot as hell. And when you go out, all soaked and sweaty, you freeze."

Rahill said the department voted for Fire-Dex suits after one of its most experienced members spent more than a year researching. Kevin Burke, who retired from the New York Fire Department after 35 years, tried several manufacturers' suits for months at a time before submitting his evaluations.

Rahill said the new suits, which must be custom-fit, should be in service within the next two months.