Grant aids area fire fighters

HARTINGTON — A Federal Assistance to Firefighters grant of nearly $260,000 will help fire fighters and Emergency Medical Services provide better service to Cedar County residents.
Fire and EMS agencies that belong to the Big Nine Mutual Aid Organization have already received new and much needed equipment thanks to the grant funds, according to Cedar County Emergency Management Director Kevin Garvin.

The Big Nine Mutual Aid organization is comprised of Fire and EMS agencies from Belden, Carroll, Coleridge, Concord, Dixon, Fordyce, Hartington, Laurel, Newcastle, Randolph and Wynot.
A few members from some of the departments had identified needs that affected almost every agency within the organization.
Issues and needs that faced the departments included complying with new federal regulations, replacing outdated and aging equipment and providing improved coverage for the emergency paging system.
A small group, which was formed from the Big Nine organization, wrote and submitted a regional grant application under the Assistance to Firefighters grant program.
“Because Magnet lies within Cedar County the decision was made to include the Magnet Fire Department in the grant application as well,” said Garvin.
The grant application was submitted May 3, 2007 – in November the Big Nine Mutual Aid members received good news.
“On Nov. 16, 2007, we received notice from the Department of Homeland Security that our grant application had been approved in the amount of $259,566,” said Garvin. “One department within the organization had to assume the duties of fiscal agent; Dixon Fire Department volunteered.”
Highlights from the grant included helping departments purchase equipment they could not afford on their own and helping departments replace older equipment with items that utilize the latest technology.
“The Magnet Volunteer Fire Department has never had pagers and could not afford to purchase them on their own,” said Garvin. “The purchase of Automated External Defibrillators (AED) for Coleridge, Laurel and Newcastle replaced units that utilized old technology and were over 10 years old. The new AED units offer significant improvements over the old monophasic units.”
Two departments will now be able to expand treatment options.
“Because Laurel and Hartington have paramedics, the grant purchased each of these two squads a paramedic grade defibrillator that allows for more treatment options that can only be performed by paramedics,” Garvin said.
The funds from the grant were used to help several departments meet federal regulations.
The paging system radio transmitters were replaced at several locations and will now comply with new federal regulations that take effect in the near future, according to Garvin.
“The departments would have had to make the replacement themselves if the grant would not have been awarded,” Garvin said.
Equipment allocations for pagers have been made to Belden, Carroll, Coleridge, Fordyce, Hartington, Magnet, Randolph and Wynot.
Defibrillators were distributed to Belden Fire Department, Carroll Fire Department, Coleridge, Dixon and Hartington Ambulance, Laurel, Newcastle, Randolph and Wynot, Garvin said.
The Carroll Fire Department will receive new two-way radios.
The majority of the equipment is now being received and distributed but along with the new equipment comes training.
The defibrillators, for all but the paramedics, were distributed and training was conducted at the Dixon Fire Station on April 16.
The paramedic level defibrillators are expected to arrive on May 2.
Because the grant was not enough to cover the entire expense of the paging transmitter upgrades, Cedar County Emergency Management has applied for permission to utilize Homeland Security grant funding to assist  the Big Nine Mutual Aid Association in completing the project.
Under the terms of the grant the equipment must be ordered and distributed and the training completed within one year, Garvin said.