PORT ANGELES – Clallam County Fire District 2 will replace defibrillators and fire nozzles using a $23,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The district will replace automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), which are carried on fire engines, that are older than 15 years and fire attack nozzles older than 16 years.

As fire commissioners recently accepted the grant, they noted that the timing could not have been better for the fire district, said Chief Sam Phillips.

“The timing of this grant is especially helpful to our budget,” Phillips said.

According to the AHA, chances of surviving a heart attack are improved by 8.5 percent with the addition of early defibrillation to basic life support care, Phillips said.

“The AEDs are proven life-savers for citizens and firefighters,” Phillips said.

“Most cardio deaths and injuries are related to stress and over-exertion; for firefighters this is often on the scene of a fire or similar emergency.”

The cost of one AED is $2,600, including training.

Firefighters reported that two of their attack nozzles were not working properly, Phillips said.

“After two reported nozzle failures, the district conducted a needs assessment and an after-action review indicated our entire stock of front line nozzles are beyond life expectancy,” he said.

The cost of each nozzle is about $940 and includes training on the use of the units.

Through an ongoing risk analysis, the district determined that throughout the past three reporting years the district has observed a 34 percent increase in emergency medical calls for service, the fire chief said.

The district applied for a combined request to replace both the AEDs and nozzles, which was approved by FEMA.

Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue will contribute 5 percent of the cost, bringing the total expense to $24,500 — an amount that is nearly 27 percent of the annual supply budget.