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PRESTON, Idaho – Firefighters in the Franklin District have a new tool to protect themselves. It's a gift that has a lot of sentimental value for that department.
Corbin Twiss said firefighters in the Franklin County Fire District are family to him. His father was one of them and Twiss grew up around them. They took care of him and he needed to give back.
"I wanted to do something to help the firefighters because they've been helping me since before I was born," Twiss explained. He built a special drying rack for his senior project at Preston High School.
"It just takes air in through here, shoves it through our pipes," he demonstrated
Firefighter turnout suits normally take days to dry but that's reduced to hours with this tool.
"A great benefit to the fire district," said Fire Marshal Matt Gleed. He said it goes beyond convenience. "Right now there's a huge problem with cancer in the fire service from having dirty turnout gear."
Being able to clean that gear right after a fire helps protect firefighters from toxic materials.
Twiss got the plans and donated materials from IPEX, a company that makes thermoplastic piping, in Preston.
A gift from a Preston teen, to firefighters in Franklin County, will be used to help protect their health. It means a lot to firefighters, because he's the son of one of their own who died in a crash several years ago. Hear how this project all came together, on @KSL5TV at 6pm. pic.twitter.com/X0PqCGDxvU
— Mike Anderson (@mikeandersonKSL) February 3, 2022
He said this was about more than safety. "They really helped me a lot when my parents passed away in 2013."
Troy Twiss was a longtime firefighter in Preston. He and his wife, Jerusha, were both taken in a car crash.
Gleed said, "Yeah, there's a lot of sentimental value to this because it's kind of a complete circle."
As Fire Chief Randon Naegle explained, Troy Twiss was a part of their family and Corbin Twiss still is today.
"I worked with Troy for many years. Yep. Very sad to lose him and we still hold him pretty close to our hearts," Naegle said.
This rack really could have come from anyone, but the fact that Corbin Twiss built it means everything.
"I love them. I feel like I'm part of them," he said. "It's brought us all closer together."
It took Corbin Twiss about 25 hours to build that rack. Gleed helped on nights and weekends.
The young man said he does not plan on being a firefighter but would like to become a diesel mechanic so he could be one of the guys who help keep their engines running.
