Hartley firefighters are taking a breath of fresh air thanks to a recent purchase.

The local squad bought 10 new air packs to replace 13 outdated ones. The equipment comes with upgraded features and increased air capacity, which made Fire Chief Brad Meendering happy.

"It was time," he said. "Our old ones were outdated and they needed to be serviced. Instead of wasting money doing that, we decided to go ahead and order these."

The new air packs, which firefighters use to breathe during firefights, cost approximately $64,000. The city kicked in $29,000, donations to the fire department contri...