Extractor washes away dangers
By JEFF STITT
jstitt@yourmvi.com
First responders with Central Volunteer Fire Company of Elizabeth Township no longer have to worry about wearing gear that might be contaminated with cancer-causing materials.
Central VFC recently received a private grant to purchase a gear extractor to wash and decontaminate turnout gear.
A gear extractor is a large commercial washing machine using spin cycles that reach speeds up to 100 Gs and a variance of heated bathing cycles to remove potentially life-threatening chemicals, biological agents and particulate matter that has been linked to cancer in firefighters.
“The piece of equipment helps extend the life of the gear and removes all the containments that are generated in a fire,” according to a fire company statement.
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