The Dresden Fire Department has made a few much needed upgrades to their equipment due to grants through FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Program.
A LUCAS CPR Device, two LifePak 15 heart monitors, and three AED’s were placed into service on December 6. The medical equipment, which would have cost $76,000, was purchased through a grant which covered and saved taxpayers all but $2,100.
The LUCAS Device frees up the hands of the first responder by doing automatic chest compressions. The machine improves the quality of chest compressions, increases ETCCO2 Levels and sustains life-saving circulation during prolonged resuscitation attempts according to the official LUCAS website.
Heart rate monitors typically need to be replaced every eight years. The old monitors that the Fire Department were using were two times past their expiration date. The two new LifePak 15 monitors have life-saving functions and updated technology that matches today’s technical standards.
On December 9 the second FEMA AFG grant item arrived at the station… a 3000-gallon tanker truck decked out with a 400 Cummins Engine, proper safety features, pre-connected lines, and a pump that can release up to 1,000 gallons of water a minute! This truck replaced the current tanker and the department’s oldest engine. The current tanker was originally used to haul oil long before it hauled water for the Dresden Fire Department. It was not equipped with airbags or other safety features and it was top heavy which made it easy to roll and an issue for the well-being of the firemen.
Tanker 203 was purchased with $311,500 of grant money which left less than $5,000 for the fire department to contribute to the upgrade. “Getting that much money for a fire truck is tremendous for us,” commented Chief Harold Wolford.
The purpose of the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Program is to replace antiquated and obsolete equipment. The program was founded after the attacks on 9/11/2001.
Over the past three years, the Dresden Fire Department has received $592,888 in grant money thanks to