THANK YOU TO OUR LADIES AUXILIARY

Sunday, March 19, 2017

The Officers and Members of the Delaware City Fire Company would like to THANK our Ladies Auxiliary for their donation at this years Banquet.  Our Ladies donated $40,000.00 to the Fire Company and were were able to purchase the following items:

10 Automated External Defibrillators [AED's]

Gear Washer

Gear Dryer

The EMS department was able to purchase AEDs to replace the aging and discontinued AEDs we currently have in service.  Many of the AEDs we had were no longer operational, and we've had to move units around to make sure we had working ones on each piece of apparatus.

These six units have been inventoried and assigned as follows:

• 15-8 (Chief)
• EMS-15 (Supervisor)
• Quint 15
• Rescue Engine 15
• Banquet Hall
• 2nd Floor Gym

There is an additional shipment of back-ordered AEDs that are designated for the ambulances.  Once these AEDs come in, the Phillips AEDs currently in use will be relocated to Squad 15 and Engine 15.

Please take note some key differences in these AEDs:  There is a "Pediatric Pouch" attached to the back of the AEDs.  Inside the pouch are attenuated (lower) dose defibrillator pads designed for infants and small children.  Each AED is labeled with where it is assigned and with its serial # for easy reference.  The pouch located under the front carrying case cover contains shears, razors, a cloth, spare pads and an associated charging stick.

This is a major difference from older models.  Since the "Express" units are not designed for "frequent use," the pads are electronically "paired" with its own charging stick.  This will ensure battery life matches the pads.  So, in the event of use, or when replacing due to expiration dates, the pads AND the charging stick must both be replaced.  These pads cannot be obtained from the hospitals or the Medics.

The AEDs we are getting for the ambulances will be compatible with those that the hospitals and Medics carry.

Please make yourself familiar with the location and use of these new AEDs.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the EMS department.

The Gear Washer allows us to wash our Firefighting Gear in house now.  We are very appreciative of Deputy Chief Brian Reeder, Career Staff Ken Getty and Member John Albany who have taken our gear to Minquadale, Odessa, City of Chester, PA and Newtown Square, PA Fire Companies respectively to be washed.

This is a HUGE purchase for the Fire Company to allow us to wash and dry up to 4 sets of gear at a time.   

Studies have shown that washing turnout gear after each alarm where we were exposed to smoke or other immediately dangerous to life or health elements [if we don't need to have it professionally cleaned] would reduce exposure to our membership.  

This is a very overdue purchase and we cannot thank all of you enough.  It is through all of your hard work and many hours of hard work that made this possible and we are extremely grateful to ALL OF YOU!!!

We will make sure that at the next Auxiliary Meeting we will have the AED's available for their review and take anyone that would like to see our new Gear Washer and Dyer over in the Gear Room.

We are hoping to purchase some additional Turnout Gear with the remainder of the money that donated to us.

So with all this being said, on behalf of President Paul Johnson and the entire membership of the Fire Company, WE THANK ALL OF OUR LADIES AUXILIARY  FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS for the allowing us to be able to make these purchase!