For the Linden Fire Department, there are several needs. They range from minor equipment to other supplies that could be the difference in saving a building.

Linden Fire Chief James Creel said there were several items on the agenda for the department. Creel said one item in particular could greatly decrease the amount of smoke damage to burned structures.

“There are some things that are needed that we would like to purchase to help us deal with fires and other things,” Creel said. “One of the things we would like to purchase is a smoke ventilator for $2,550. When we had the fire at Papa’s we desperately needed one of these to get the smoke out of there. It could save a business, and it can save them a lot of money on smoke damage.”

Creel said once extensive amounts of smoke loom in a building for a while it can really cause a lot of problems. Creel said this piece of equipment could help minimize those problems.

“They come with a Honda engine and the blades are turned so that it is either pulling air or pushing air,” Creel said. “It will do three times what we have now. We really need one.”

The department is also in need of new hose. Creel said some of the hoses they are currently working with were getting too old and replacement hose was needed.

“We need 1,400 feet of 1 and 3/4 inch hose,” Creel said. “It would be six sections of 500 feet and we are going to try to get them in 100-foot sections if possible. They last longer if you don’t have all the stuff you have to fool with.”

Creel added connectors for the hose would also be needed.

“We also need two female adapters for the connector,” Creel said. “We ordered as many as we could and we even used some of our own money to buy the ones we have, but we need two more. These connectors are quick connectors where you can just come up to it and click, you don’t have to stand there and do a lot.”

Another item on the agenda for the fire department dealt with helping the department work faster as far as setting up their generator was concerned. Creel said an addition to the truck could make this possible.

“The service truck that we have we’ve put a lot of stuff on it and we need a slide tray in the center in the middle back part of it where we can mount the generator,” Creel said. “Right now we have to crawl in there and two people have to pull it out. If we can put in onto a tray to slide the generator out it will be about $400.”

The final item needed by the department would increase their manpower when responding to fires. Creel said the department recently added a new member and has no equipment that is a proper fit for him to wear at the scene.

“We also have a new fireman and we don’t have any turnout gear to fit him,” Creer said. “Everything is too small. When we go to a fire we just don’t have anything for him to go in. It would run about $1,300. We really need that if you could find a way to fund that.”

The council voted unanimously to purchase the turnout gear and also plans to look into supplying the departments other needs.