“We want to go in partnership with NPC (Northland Pioneer College),” Taylor-Snowflake Fire & Medical Department Assistant Fire Chief Willie Nelson advised the Taylor Town Council last week, noting that they are mandated to test manually the fit of air masks to a firefighter’s face and also the flow of the air packs to see that they are functioning properly.

NPC spent $5,400 for 26 air packs to be flow tested and have some minor repair work done, and they now have up to 50 air packs that need the yearly flow test.

Captain Bill Solomon, who is on the NPC Fire Science faculty, and Captain Justin Kriter took the certification class to be able to do the tests and repairs, which result in future savings to the department.

NPC officials have committed to purchasing the needed machines, knowing it would be an initial cost up front, but a huge savings in the near future.

While at the class, a firefighter from Timber Mesa noted that they had two machines and only used one, so Solomon contacted Timber Mesa Chief Clay Wood to see about the possibility of using their facility to do the testing. Chief Wood brought an OHD Fit Tester to the Northern Arizona Training Center (NATC) in Taylor.

Solomon discussed the possibility of NPC sharing the cost with TSFMD with the NPC fire coordinator, and he was excited about partnering.

A draft agreement between NPC and TSFMD for the possible purchase and sharing of a Posi Check machine, and to share the donated OHD Fit Tester was drawn up and presented to the Taylor Town Council Jan. 26.

Nelson explained that NPC and TSFMD will split the cost of the Posi Testing machine, and any and all software that comes with the purchase, 50/50. The total cost is approximately $11,500, which would be approximately $6,000 per agency. This would make the use of the machines available any time. Equipment will be housed at NATC under lock and key.

NPC paid the $700 and every three years will pay $600 as a new certification is to be done. NPC will pay the cost of all tools needed to pass the original housing shop certification, and then split the cost as new tools may be needed.

NPC will have a computer dedicated for the machines that can be used by both entities, and NPC will keep up the maintenance and repair of that computer.

“If we enter into this it will pay for itself the first year,” said Nelson, noting that NPC has 50 machines that need testing and TSFMD has 29 units that need testing on an annual basis.

In response to a question from Vice Mayor Shawn Palmer, Nielson said that the cost per unit for testing is $270, explaining that someone would have to come from the Valley, which would put the machine out of service until it could be tested.

Captain Kriter said that as long as the machines are sent in for service, there’s not a shelf life on them.

The council unanimously approved the partnership with NPC for the purchase of a SCBA Testing Machine.