AFD receives $5,500 to buy new PPE

(ABC 6 News) – The Austin Fire department is receiving a $5,500 dollar grant to buy personal protection equipment.

The grant from International Paper allows firefighters to buy additional hoods and gloves that can be changed out while on the scene.

Because of the materials burning during a fire, firefighters are more prone to cancer without clean equipment.

"Having those hoods and gloves saturated with those cancer causing agents up against your skin is not healthy//your body absorbs that and when we can change out the dirty hood, the dirty gloves for a clean set we are no longer putting out firefighters in harm’s way," Austin Fire Chief Jim Mccoy said.

As of now, each firefighter has one set of gear.