The Sykesville-Freedom District Fire Department is being awarded $74,655 through FEMA's Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. This grant will be used to purchase 142 EMS Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) coats for the department's personnel who respond to emergency medical calls.

As the second busiest fire station in Carroll County, Sykesville responds to an average of seven medical calls each day. Due to the number of medical calls that Sykesville receives, it is not unusual for a medic unit to be dispatched to another call before they return to the station. Rapid return to service for Sykesville's medic units is essential for the safety and wellbeing for the communities within the South Carroll region. However, the return to service is often delayed when the member's clothing is contaminated. The EMS PPE coats can be quickly cleaned and disinfected at the hospital which allows for a quicker return to service for Sykesville's medic units.

The EMS PPE coats will greatly increase the safety of our members and enhance their protection from the safety and health risks such as exposure to blood, body fluids or common accident-scene chemicals, lack of reflective visibility, and protection against the weather elements. The EMS PPE coats will be multi-season in which the inner lining can be removed during warmer days without effecting the safety certifications. The coats will be waterproof and windproof as well as being flexible and breathable which allows for extended working times without the responders becoming overexerted or overheated from heat stress.

The EMS PPE coats will be certified for National visibility standards. This increased visibility would allow Sykesville's medical providers to stand out in any crowd thus reducing the time that it takes for the public to locate emergency personnel. This visibility also alerts additional responding resources as to the location of an incident which already has a responder at the scene. In addition, Sykesville's emergency responders are unable to wear firefighting PPE at many medical incidents as firefighting gear is bulky and restricts movement especially when working in close proximity with one another. This is usually the case when treating and transporting high priority medical patients in back of the medic unit. Sykesville's emergency responders need to be able to move around quickly and effortlessly while having the utmost protection against exposure to bodily fluids, common accident scene chemicals, and the weather elements.