The family of the late Capt. Mike Kuntz made a donation in his honor this week to the Great Falls Fire Rescue Foundation toward the purchase of equipment to reduce firefighters exposure to contaminants.

The donation will go toward the foundation’s goal to purchase a self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBA, washer for Great Falls Fire Rescue.

The department doesn’t currently have a SCBA washer, which Chief Jeremy Jones said looks like a commercial dishwasher and removes contaminants from the gear that firefighter breath through while responding to fires or hazardous materials calls.

GFFR receives grant for safety equipment [2022]

Jones and GFFR have applied for grants for the equipment but have not yet been approved for those proposals. They have received grant funds for other needs, such as an aerial truck and installation of a diesel exhaust removal system in all four fire stations.

Currently, GFFR firefighters clean their SCBA with a hose and scrub brushes using Dawn dish detergent and their masks are rinsed in a bucket with a cleaning detergent, Jones said.

“This can limit decontamination before being worn on the next event. This process is time consuming and not very effective when cleaning the most valuable piece of equipment that protects our firefighters’ lungs and enables them to enter fire and smoke environments, as well as other toxic environments. The funding for the washer has not been available through the city budget,” according to the foundation.

GFFR has two washers for their turnout gear that were funded with grants, but they don’t have enough for all of the fire stations, Jones said.

GFFR seeking grant for safety, decontamination and wellness equipment [2021]

“Firefighters’ risks are significantly higher for specific types of cancer than the general population,” according to the foundation and GFFR “has personally experienced the impacts that cancer related to occupational exposures has. Since 2019, GFFR has lost two of their brothers to this horrible disease. Not only did GFFR experience tremendous loss, but two families also went through devastating loss of their loved ones, who will not be forgotten, Capt. Mike Kuntz and Engineer Jason Baker.”

City seeking grants for new aerial truck, safety and decontamination gear [2020]

Kuntz died in 2022 at 49 and Baker died in 2019 at 45. Both from cancer related to firefighting. Kuntz served 18 years and Baker served 17.5 with GFFR.

Memorial, reception and celebration of life planned for firefighter Jason Baker

Baker fought at the Montana Legislature for laws that would provide presumptive coverage for certain conditions that firefighters are at greater risk to develop due to their job.

That law was passed in 2019.

Great Falls firefighters continue effort to get presumptive law in Montana [2018]

Earlier this month, a firefighter with the Montana Air National Guard at the Great Falls airport was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer.

More information about the GFFR foundation and how to donate is here.