It was a little like Christmas for the members of the Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District last week when they donned their new turnout gear last week.

The Christmas gifts amounted to $65,000, thanks in part to a federal grant from USDA Rural Development. The fire district received 19 sets of turnouts, which included helmet, coat, trousers, boots, gloves, and heat shrouds.

"The new turnout gear is astounding. They will keep our firefighters safer and perform at a higher level," said Chief James Russell. He said the new gear will provide better protection, but are lighter and allow more of the firefighter's own body heat to escape. The purchase had been in the works since 2019 when Russell ordered two sets of the turnouts to check them out. In January 2020, he applied for the grant and in December a representative from Fire-Dex traveled to Plains to get the crew's body measurements for fitting. "This is a pretty exciting night and it's been a long time coming," said Russell as the firefighters dug into their goodies.

"It feels like it was made just for me. The freedom of movement is a lot better," said Chris Schrock, a firefighter with district for two years. Five of the firefighters didn't receive the new gear, but Russell said they will get the new lightweight turnouts, which are used for traffic accidents, traffic control or situations that don't involved going into a fire, said Braden Starika, who's been with district for fives years and is the unit information technology specialist. He added that the new outfits have the highest thermal heat loss rating, which means getting rid of the heat generated by the firefighter. He said it's rated for a lifespan of 10 years.

The new turnouts were lined up in the fire hall with the firefighters' names at each pile. The crew quickly dressed in the new gear to make sure each piece fit. "Anytime we get new toys it's like Christmas," said Lyla Lammert, who's been with the fire district since March. Boots were the only piece of gear that weren't perfectly fitted, but even most of them worked.

The new gear is lighter than the old one, but still offers the needed protection. Starika said the inside liners are better and lighter and the new coat has a drag rescue device built into it, which allows for a firefighter to easily pull a downed crew member to safety. "I love it. It's more comfortable and I feel safe knowing that we have updated equipment to protect us," said the 21-year-old and one of the youngest of the crew, along with Ben Portillo, also 21, but at 6 feet, two inches, the tallest to receive the new gear. "This is the stuff that protects us, so we need to take good care of it," Russell told his crew after they tried on the gear. He said they will stow their old turnouts and use them as backups.

The district is comprised of 24 firefighters, including four women, but Russell said they are always looking for additional firefighters. The group meets every second and fourth Thursday at 7 p.m. at the fire hall just northwest of Plains on Old Airport Road for training. The firefighters range from 21-72 years old. Russell has been the chief for six years.

The total amount for all the new gear, including the lightweight outfits that have not yet arrived, comes to $80,000. Fifty-five percent was paid for by the grant and the rest was a long-term loan. Turnout gear for one person helmet to boots cost $3,200, according to Russell. The district also purchased a 14-foot inflatable boat through a grant for $4,200, which was paid for from the district's Rescue Fund Donations from the community. The firefighters assembled the boat after stowing their new turnouts. It took about 40 miutes for the crew to inflate the boat and insert the aluminum floor. Russell said they plan to get a motor for the boat as soon as they raise $8,000. However, he said they will be doing some type of training even before getting a motor.

The Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District  participated in the rescue of a pilot, who had crashed his airplane in the Flathead River two weeks ago. District provided mutual-aid with their jet skis. The man later died. "Our water rescue team extricated the pilot in the water and transported him to the shore," said Russell. He said the new boat will provide a larger platform, which would have easier with the airplane crash victim. The new inflatable will also allow them to get into more shallow areas.

Ed Moreth

BRAND NEW – Members of the Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District try on their new turnout gear. From the left: Chris Schrock, Sonya Black, Stephanie Rock, and Seth Gibbs.

"The new boat would be a helpful addition on water rescues, like the place crash because it can carry lots people and equipment," said Russell, adding that the boat will provide support with more rescuers and a stable platform to transport multiple patients.