By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

An open house and hamburger or hot dog meal at Hillsboro fire station Saturday will raise money for the department to buy a specialized washing machine for fire gear.

Fire chief Ben Stekettee said free will donations would be taken for the meal.

Raffle tickets good for a chance to win a Green Mountain Pellet Grill will be $5 each or five for $20, and the winner does not have to be present when the winning ticket is drawn during the last hour of the event.

The department received a grant to buy new firefighting gear earlier this year.

“We got a FEMA grant and we’re getting new gear, but they didn’t get an extractor,” Stekettee said. “This one is right around $4,000. We have it on display at City Hall. The vendor was kind enough to let us have one to display.”

The Green Mountain grill is also on display, Stekettee said.

Visitors can also tour the fire station during the event.

The extractor is needed as safety equipment, Stekettee said. Recent years have shown firefighters to have a higher-than-average cancer rate.

“When you fight a structure fire or a car fire, those carcinogens that you don’t breathe in because of your breathing apparatus get into your gear,” he said. “Then when you put your gear back on, you’re exposed to it again. We wash our gear at the scene, but that doesn’t get all of it off. The extractor will remove the carcinogens. It’s about firefighter safety.”

Raffle tickets are available in advance from any Hillsboro firefighter and at city hall.