Chelsea fire department shows off new air packs

Chelsea Fire & Rescue Chief Wayne Shirley showed the mayor and city council of Chelsea what equipment they are investing in during the Sept. 6 city council meeting.

Firefighter Taylor Gunnels arrived at the meeting in his gear and safety equipment, including one of 28 new air packs the department has received. The city approved the purchase of the air packs, which cost more than $180,000 and Shirley thanked the council and mayor for their support.

“The work we ask our staff to do going in fighting fires is very, very dangerous,” Shirley said. “… This is a lot better version than the old air pack we had.”

The new air packs include a beeping alarm which goes off if a firefighter is immobile. This allows for other firefighters for find the firefighter who might be injured or otherwise unable to move. They also include a voice amplifier, which Gunnels noted would help with communication during dangerous situations.

“They were a significant investment for the city,” Shirley said.

Mayor Earl Niven said while the safety equipment and gear for firefighters is not cheap, it is worth investing in the safety of the city’s firefighters. The air packs will be implemented next week, following the completion of training, Shirley said.

Also during its meeting, the council voted to hold off on receiving a rezoning request. The request was to rezone a 4.8 acre property at the intersection of Highway 43 and Highway 11 from residential to agricultural residential to allow for the installation of a winery and to allow the individuals who submitted the request, Matt and Robyn Lyons, to live on the property.

While a zoning variance was approved by the Chelsea Planning Commission and the planning commission recommended the council approve the request, council member Juanita Champion made a motion for the council to meet with City Engineer Keith Hager before setting a public hearing for the rezoning request. Following a meeting with Hager, the council will consider whether to receive the proposal and set a public hearing.

“We’re not trying to do anything to inhibit business or inhibit their operation, but there were just a few technical issues that popped up in here that we need to get resolved,” said council member Dale Neuendorf.

The council also certified the election of Cody Sumners for Place 1, Scott Weygand for Place 2, David Ingram for Place 3, Tiffany Bittner for Place 4 and Casey Morris for Place 5 on the Chelsea City Council. The new council members will be sworn in on Monday, Nov. 7. It also awarded a $5,500 bid for the best price for the fire department mobile home which was declared surplus property and approved to pay the city’s bills.