Summerville Fire & Rescue receives new air monitoring devices

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - Summerville Fire & Rescue has received new public health equipment, and they believe it will improve the safety of those across the Lowcountry.

Eleven air monitoring devices are now housed at the department and will be shared with neighboring Lowcountry counties.

The new equipment is an early warning system to alert first responders of potential airborne threats, such as chemical threats.

The devices are able to be transported to events and gatherings, especially large ones like Summerville’s Sweet Tea Festival, parades and The Cooper River Bridge Run, Summerville Fire & Rescue officials say.

The grant for the equipment came from the Hospital Preparedness Program, as the devices can be a big help to healthcare workers in the event of an airborne threat.

“In some instances, we may be able to identify the threat specifically, a specific chemical compound that is present, and then we say to the receiving hospital what it is, what signs and symptoms to expect and then they can use that to drive their treatment to the patients that they’re receiving,” Capt. Phil Judge said.

Summerville Fire & Rescue says an airborne threat is something they hope never happens, but they take an “all hazards approach” to be ready for anything that comes their way.

The next step for their agency is personnel training on how to properly use the equipment and learning the operating procedures.

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