In light of a January 2005 tragedy in which two New York City firefighters died - and four others were seriously injured - after jumping out of a burning Bronx building four floors to the street without any safety ropes, the state passed a long-overdue law two years later with regard to the mandatory use of personal safety systems for firefighters.

The law, passed in August 2007, now requires all employers who employ firefighters to provide safety ropes and system components - including life safety harnesses, belts, carbiners, ascending devices, descender control devices, rope grab devices and snap links - that meet all standards set forth by the National Fire Protection Association. This law does not apply to employers in a city of one million or more.

The systems, designed to be a one-time use emergency escape system, weigh under 3 lbs. without the harness and are lightweight, extremely low profile and functional, according to North American Rescue Systems, Inc.

The Garden City Fire Department, comprised of 35 career firefighters, including Captain Harry G. Frank, and 65 volunteers, obtained 50 personal safety systems purchased through the current budget and has another 50 on the way through the next budget.

Each structural firefighter will be issued his or her own system, which consists of a combination of a rope, hook and descender device. Currently, firefighters use a belt and rope combination to remove themselves from a burning structure. The systems are expected to arrive in March.

"It gives guys the ability to go out hands-free," Captain Frank, who recently thanked the board of trustees for approving the purchase of these systems back in November, said.

Trustee Donald Brudie said he is very proud his board of trustees approved the equipment. "I hope we never need it. I hope we never have to use it but I'm glad we have it,' Trustee Brudie said.