Health Services Foundation awards over $7,000 for Cold Water Rescue

10 years ago

HOULTON, Maine — Even though the temperature is registering 80-plus degrees these days, a really cool grant award was made by the Health Services Foundation to the Linneus Volunteer Fire Department in the amount of $7,486 for cold water rescue gear and other items needed.
Linneus Fire Department Chief Mark R. Ganzel made a presentation to Foundation trustees with a request for several pieces of equipment sorely needed by the department.

“Given the rural nature of where we live and smaller volunteer fire departments being hard pressed to keep up with the demands made during a rescue event trustees agreed the request was indeed worthwhile of support and voted to award the funds for the items outlined below,” said Elizabeth Dulin, executive director

Cold Water Rescue Sled

The sled will assist in removing a victim out of a broken hole in the ice and transporting them back to safety at a much faster rate thereby causing less trauma to the victim as they are transported.
Once the victim is removed from the hole onto the sled firefighters at the water line using an attached sled rope can pull it across the ice pretty fast.  When someone is exposed to extreme cold temperatures time becomes a critical factor for all concerned.  The fire department had some cold water rescue gear to protect firefighters when they entered the water to rescue a victim, but now the rescue sled will go hand in hand with the other rescue gear.

Commander Gloves

New gloves are made from a material that does not harden and become stiff as easily when they get wet.   The less flexible old gloves caused firefighters to struggle when using their fine-tuned motor skills to complete the lifesaving task of rescuing someone from a burning structure.
Even simpler tasks such as connecting two fire hoses together, tying a knot in a piece of rope attached to a rescue ladder were difficult to accomplish when gloves got wet and cold.

First Aid Kits

The department has struggled with replacing items as time goes on and the items get used up. New up-to-date kits can mean the difference of saving the life of a victim or even an injured firefighter.

Portable Rechargeable Handheld Lights

Current handheld lights were old, no longer took a charge well and what charge there was did not last long.  The attempt was made by the fire department to actually use disposable flashlights, however they were not adequate enough to see through the smoke in a structure fire while searching for a subject who may still be trapped inside.  These new survivor and firebox portable lanterns will provide much greater illumination.

Portable GPS Units

Again the rural nature of the area sometimes makes it difficult to locate a fire scene.  A recent example was a shoreline location that required travel through two other towns to get to the side of the lake where the fire scene was occurring.
Responding units had to pull over and call the Sheriff’s Department for directions on how to get the fire scene.  Time is important in order to save lives or property, and the GPS units will make it faster, easier and safer when responding to a call.
The new GPS units in tandem with the cold water rescue sled will be paramount together as a water rescue can most often occur out in the woods or fields, not right next to a roadway.
“We were extremely happy to be able to present the fire department this grant award.  We just do not realize at times how vitally important it is for our local firefighters to be prepared with everything they need to make a rescue.  We only know that when we are in trouble and need them to respond we believe they will be able to have and do everything needed to save us or our home,” Dulin said.
“I cannot thank Elizabeth Dulin and the Health Services Foundation enough for the assistance in purchasing these items for Linneus Fire Department. It is so important to have the right tool for the job especially when it comes down to saving another person’s life.  This can mean the difference of pulling someone to safety and saving their life.  Without this grant funding these items (tools) could not have been purchased.
“The work that Elizabeth Dulin does and the donations given to the Foundation cannot be measured in the terms of goodness it creates in growing and reaching an amazing amount of people.  The lives that can and will be saved as a result of this funding brings great joy to my heart,” Ganzel said.
Anyone wishing more information about the Foundation, have other questions, or wish to make a donation to a Foundation project/program please call 521-2147 or visit www.healthservicesfoundation.org.