Hopatcong Fire to Upgrade Oxygen for $70K

Hopatcong firemen will be able to spend more time fighting blazes after the borough approved the purchase of $71,224.80 of longer-lasting oxygen packs.

The fire department will receive about 90 bottles and 40 back harnesses that will extend the amount of time before a firefighter can safely breath from about 15 minutes to about 30, Fire Chief Wade Crowley said.

A $304,000 grant from Public Safety Electric & Gas, which the borough received as part of an agreement to allow the power company to build the Susquehanna-Roseland power line, will be used to pay for the packs. In other words, they won't cost taxpayers a dime.

Crowley said the upgrade of the outdated equipment was scheduled to happen over two years, but the PSE&G funds allowed the transaction to occur sooner.

"We're going to a higher-pressure system that will last longer," he said.

The Hopatcong fire department consists of about 70 volunteers.

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