RLFD firefighters to benefit from Engine Show gift

RUSSELLVILLE - Adequate personal protective gear for one firefighter costs about $4,000.

Thanks to a $1,500 donation from the Russellville Engine Show and Festival, the Russellville-Lohman Fire District has one more bunker suit.

The department tries to supply a full suit for each of the 24 individuals on its roster, said interim Fire Chief Cris Cinotto.

With limited funds, the department focuses on providing new equipment for the eight firefighters who work in the interiors, he said. The exterior firefighters generally receive the "hand-me-downs."

The interior firefighters also receive additional training, such as the "art of reading smoke."

"That's the young man's game," Cinotto said. "But they all need to be protected."

Depending on use, the gear can last three to five years.

The district tries to budget for at least two

replacement suits each year.

But that doesn't include the other necessary equipment, which can total up to $10,000 for each firefighter.

"It can get really expensive," Cinotto said. "The three items we have to have are trucks, guys and gear, and extrication equipment."

As a tax-based district, each year's budget can vary from about $119,000 to about $138,000, he said.

"Our tax funding gets us by on daily operations," Cinotto said.

In addition to fundraisers, the Russellville-Lohman district also benefits from government grants, particularly through the Missouri Department of Conservation.

They also look for upgrades through swaps or purchasing with other districts.

The donation from the engine show committee was the first of its kind, that Cinotto knows of, he said.

"I cried when I heard about it," he said. "This is one of the most generous things I've seen come out of this town in a long time."