The FireStore's parent firm, Witmer Public Safety Group (WPSG), announced that the Chesapeake Fire Department will be the first fire department in Virginia to purchase the recently released MSA G1 City Edition SCBA.

The announcement comes after MSA Safety unveiled the most recent iteration of the G1 SCBA platform, the G1 City Edition. The new system combines a lighter, more ergonomic design that is tailored to the needs of the modern fire department with sophisticated firefighter accountability and search capabilities.

The choice also signifies the continuation of a long-standing partnership with the Chesapeake Fire Department.

Chesapeake chose MSA Safety through Witmer Public Safety Group to assist its firefighters after a thorough study conducted by the department and its SCBA shop team. This cooperation is anticipated to last for the next 15 years and into a new generation of the department.

Chesapeake firefighters will have access to some of MSA's most recent innovations with the department's new G1 City Edition SCBA, including integrated LUNAR Beacon Technology, improved firefighter accountability and search capabilities, lighter weight, better ergonomics and the most recent iteration of the G1 platform.

However, Chesapeake will benefit from these new SCBAs in ways that go much beyond technology.

In remembrance of Chesapeake firefighters Frank Young and Johnny Hudgins, who paid the ultimate sacrifice in 1996, the cylinders will bear the Frank and Johnny emblem.

Thirty years hence, Chesapeake firefighters will still be associated with their names and legacy.

The memorial honors a deeply ingrained aspect of the fire service: the need to continue advancing firefighter safety while never forgetting those who came before.