The Washington City Council approved the purchase of new air bottles for the fire department during their recent meeting.

Fire Chief Brendan DeLong informed the council that the department has 16 bottles expiring this March, and these are essential for responding to fire calls. The department was originally going to apply for a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant to cover upgrading their airpacks, but due to some issues with the application process they were not able to apply for the grant at this time. The cost of the bottles is $8,240 total. DeLong mentioned that the Robins Fire Department is offering to give away 10 bottles for free that expire in 2029. He plans on visiting with the department to see if the bottles would work with their packs. If not, the council approved a purchase amount of up to 16 bottles.