St. Clair Shores Fire Department to Upgrade Lifesaving Equipment

The St. Clair Shores Fire Department is in the process of upgrading equipment, communication services and computer hardware to better respond to emergencies throughout the city and improve training of personnel.
City Council recently accepted a $251,213 grant from Federal Emergency Management Agency to replace outdated defibrillator/monitors and exhaust equipment in the city's three fire stations.
"Once again the fire department has delivered," Mayor Kip Walby said about the recent grants, which brings the total amount of grants the department has received to nearly $500,000 in just over a year.
The acceptance of the grant, which had a 20 percent city match, is the most recent step taken by the department to upgrade services.
Earlier in May, City Council approved:

• The purchase of new Toughbook computers for department vehicles. The computers will have the latest technology and will be used for billing, secure communications with dispatchers along with diagrams of buildings and electrical vehicles. The diagrams will help first responders locate hazards in buildings or proper areas to cut on hybrids that were involved in accidents, according to Fire Chief George Morehouse.
• The extension of the city's contract with Comcast, which included the construction of a fiber optic connection to the north and south fire stations. This will allow for better communication between the city's three fire stations, and eliminate the need for personnel to attend trainings at the central fire station, Morehouse added.