STOCKTON, Md. - The Stockton Volunteer Fire Company is planning to extinguish older air packs with help from a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Last week, the fire company announced it was selected for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant for 2026. Their application focused on the need to replace their outdated Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus. These air packs help firefighters when they’re exposed to air that could be a threat to their health or life.
Public Information Officer Jerred Johnson says the company worked diligently to have their request fulfilled.
“We were looking into different grants and looking to different opportunities right around the time that all of our packs started going out of service,” he says. The parts were non-serviceable. We couldn't find new packs. It was really difficult for us to repair the issues that we had with our current existing packs. So, we started reaching out to our elected officials looking into different grant options. Then this one came up.”
Congressman Andy Harris and Maryland Senator Mary Beth Carozza wrote letters of recommendation for the funds to be appropriated to the company. Fire Chief Tim Jerscheid says he is blessed to have people stand by this cause.
“We could not do stuff like this without the support of our politicians and our community,” he says. “Membership is the most important thing to me and to us, is the membership supporting us, supporting the chief, supporting our job that we have to do for the community.”
He adds that the company will replace all SCBA in every vehicle. This includes the rescue, engine, brush truck, boat, tanker, medic assist truck and command vehicle.
Johnson says this upgrade will benefit not only the firefighters, but the community as well.
“Whenever we have apparatus that doesn't have enough packs per person, that becomes a big problem when we get on scene,” he says. “Whenever we have struggles with the packs themselves, there's really no other options for finding new ones outside of buying them outright. So, having this money to be able to afford that makes a big difference for this small company.”
Chief Jerscheid says he plans on holding a meeting this week to discuss the replacement with the company selling the air packs. Once the order is placed, it will take anywhere between three to five months for the new air packs to arrive. He says the hope is to have all SCBA replaced by early spring next year.
