Blood drive Jan. 30 at fire department

The Graafschap Fire Department station, 4534 60^th St., is hosting its first blood drive of 2025 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, January 30.

The department is also leading a hands-only CPR course at the Felt Mansion on Saturday, January 25.

Blood drive

The fire station is an independent blood collection site, which means all donors are responding directly to the Red Cross without the marketing help of any other blood drives in the area. This increases the blood supply for individuals who depend on it for lifesaving and life-changing treatment.

Read more on the fire department website here.

Participants can donate in two ways, according to the Red Cross:

Blood: The most common type of donation, during which about a pint of “whole blood” is given. This type of blood donation usually takes about an hour.

Power Red: A Power Red donation collects the red cells but returns most of the plasma and platelets to the donor. These donors must meet specific eligibility requirements and have type A Neg, B Neg, or O blood.

For more information, or to make an appointment, click here.

Other upcoming blood drives are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursdays March 27, May 29 and July 31.

Blood drives at the fire station began in August 2023 and expanded from four times a year to six times a year.

CPR course

The fire department is also hosting a hands-only CPR training at 1 p.m. Saturday, January 25, at the Felt Mansion ballroom, 6597 138^th Ave.

About 75 to 80 percent of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen at home, so being trained to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation can mean the difference between life and death. Space is limited to 25 so contact Parks@laketowntwp.org to hold your spot.

The ballroom is only accessible by stairs.

Community Risk Reduction

The programs are a part of the Community Risk Reduction initiative the department started in 2022.

The department has free weekly blood pressure checks at the facility from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays.

Reflective address signs are made in-house by Graafschap Fire Department retirees. The signs are usually ready for pick up at the fire station after two business days of receiving the order – and the $20 cost is paid at the time of pick-up.

The signs can also be ordered here.

The program also continues a smoke and carbon monoxide installation program. Free alarms installed by firefighters are available to residents. These 10-year lithium battery alarms are provided by a state grant.

For more information, call the fire department at (616) 396-4060 or visit here.