A comment during a recent tour of Iola Fire Department stuck with Lee and Loretta Roberts.
In particular, Lee Roberts was intrigued with the pickup and trailer the firefighters use when responding to hazardous material spills.
“He asked if there was anything we need,” Iola Fire Chief Donald Leapheart said, “and our response was ‘We sure could use a computer.’”
A few days later, the Robertses donated a laptop computer to the fire department.
The Dell Inspiron is equipped with software that will readily access chemical databases, so firefighters know how certain materials will react if combined.
“Up to now, we’d have to look through a book, or maybe two, to find out what would happen if certain materials were mixed,” said Lt. Gary Kimball of the fire department.
In addition, the computer has a pair of mapping programs to help determine where, if necessary, evacuations would be ordered in case of a hazardous materials spill.
The computer also can access the Internet if a wifi signal is available, handy for receiving weather information, although the hazmat trailer has its own weather observation system.
“We just thought it was something they could use,” Roberts said of the gift.
Lee Roberts is a dispatcher with the Allen County Emergency Response Center.
Computer aids hazmat crews
