Changes to Annapolis Fire Department Since Sept. 11, 2001

For the last week, through photos, Patch has documentated changes in the region since 9/11.

In Annapolis, since the attacks that killed people in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, the fire department has purchased new equipment through federal grants.

This photo gallery illustrates three pieces of equipment purchased since Sept. 11, 2001: The Annapolis City Command Unit (ACCU), the Fire Explosive Services Unit and Decon 38 (a Hazardous Material Tehnical Decontamination Vehicle). Each serves very different functions, Menassa said.

“All three of those vehicles represent different facets of our protection and emergency-response equipment,” said Battallion Chief John Menassa, a spokesman for the Annapolis Fire Department. “They all came about after 9/11 and they all address different facets of potential threats to the population.”

The Annapolis City Command Unit, serves as a mobile command post. It allows different city departments, such as the Annapolis Police department, the Annapolis Fire Department and Public Works, to communicate on the same radio frequency in the event of an emergency.

It also allows for communication with other local agencies. Menassa said the need for inter-agency communication in the event of an emergency was emphasized by 9/11.

In addition, the Fire Explosive Service Unit carries equipment for the bomb squad and is used to investigate suspicious packages.

Decon 38 provides decontamination on a large-scale, taking someone through the decontamination process from start to finish. Vehicles such as this one came about in response to the events surrounding Sept. 11 and the anthrax incidents that came after, following the need to decontaminate larger numbers of people rapidly and in a more defined method, Menassa said.

Before 2001, Annapolis did not have a bomb squad or hazardous materials team. Menassa said the department was in the position of creating both, but funding the units was not a priority before 9/11.

"After 9/11 all of the stake holders at City Hall supported advancing our capabilities. They recognized that as a state capital we needed to be prepared," Menassa said via email.