A $2,000 grant will help the Graafschap Fire Department better train its members to help residents in need.
The fire department received a Community Enhancement Program grant through the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council on Oct. 11 that will update cardiopulmonary resuscitation training equipment.
“We would like to thank the MACC for their generous grant which allows us to better train our members and continue the expansion of our community outreach,” said Dave Grumney, Captain, Training & Health/Safety for the Graafschap Fire Department.
“Thanks to Captain Grumney for his work on the grant and to the MACC grant team for their support of our project,” said Chief Doug DenBleyker.
New equipment
The department now has equipment and mannequins donated more than 30 years ago by a local company. The units held together with tape do not meet current American Heart Association standards.
Thanks to the grant, one adult CPR mannequin and one infant CPR mannequin will be replaced by six adult, three child, and two airway obstruction mannequins.
CPR is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating.
“We can now have more hands-on training in the classroom instead of everyone waiting on the one mannequin,” Grumney said. “Right now, our staff will use the equipment for CPR training and recertification. In the future, we will be adding CPR classes for the public as part of our Community Risk Reduction program.”
The Graafschap Fire Department, which serves all of Laketown Township and part of Fillmore Township, offers free home safety inspections, free blood pressure checks on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon at the firehouse, 4534 60th St., short- and long-term rental inspections, and quarterly blood drives.
The new equipment should arrive by mid-November.
About the grant
“The Community Enhancement Board looks for proposals that service public purposes (common good) and will have an enduring positive effect on the quality of life and economic vitality of the greater Holland/Zeeland community,” wrote Jason Latham, Community Enhancement Program Board secretary, in the letter to the fire department announcing the award. “We seek to fund efforts that foster regional cooperation and cohesion.”
The Macatawa Area Coordinating Council encourages cooperation among neighboring units of government on area-wide issues including transportation and improving water quality. Membership in the group includes Holland and Zeeland cities and the townships of Fillmore, Holland, Laketown, Olive, Park, Port Sheldon, and Zeeland.