SAN ANTONIO --
The city of San Antonio agreed to a settlement with a manufacturer of firefighting equipment it claimed was faulty.
In 2006, a number of firefighters complained the masks and air tanks they used were not working properly. Firefighters and city officials said the breathing devices would lock up, causing a complete loss of air to the masks.
After an attempt at a resolution, the city sued Interspiro, according to city officials.
"The way we worked it out is that they are essentially giving us our money back, and we are giving them their equipment back," city spokesman Michael Bernard said. "We replaced the equipment with another manufacturer's equipment back in 2006."
The out-of-court settlement amounts to about $1.8 million, which will be returned to the fire department's budget, Bernard said.
