| On Friday, April 26th, 2013 the Fire Company received official notification from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that another grant application submitted by our organization to the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program has been approved for award.
This award represents the third Federal grant funding to be awarded to Westwood in the 2012 grant cycle, and our tenth award since the inception of the program in 2001.
This grant, in the amount of $44,500, will be utilized to purchase EMS equipment for our ambulance division. The majority of the funding will go towards the purchase of two oxygen generating systems to be installed at each of our ambulance bases, located at the main station in Valley Township and our satellite location at the Wagontown Fire Company.
These systems will provide our EMS personnel with the ability to refill our own oxygen cylinders and generate medical grade oxygen on site. Currently, we expend approximately $5,000 per year on oxygen supplies.
These units will separate the oxygen from all other components of atmospheric air and stores 93% pure compressed oxygen into larger cylinders. Smaller portable cylinders (carried on the ambulances) will be filled from these generating stations.
The total coverage area for Westwood EMS now expands to 51 square miles and more than 28,800 residents. This grant will allow for long-term cost savings for our service by providing the first unit of its type in the region, demonstrating that Westwood remains on the cutting edge of technology in the EMS industry.
We would also like to congratulate our neighbors at the Wagontown Fire Company and Glen Moore Fire Company on their Federal grants awarded today as well!
As of today, $843,969 in Federal AFG grants have been afforded to Chester County Fire Companies this year alone!
We would like to thank the hard working staff of the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program for their valued assistance in helping our Nation's fire service improve our response capabilities by providing safe equipment for our community's benefit. |
