On Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013 Deputy Chief Deckman and Battalion Chief Sly made a presentation to the Post Officers of the Downingtown Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #845.

The purpose of the presentation was to provide an overview of the services our Fire Company and Ambulance Division provide to the greater Coatesville and Downingtown areas for Fire, Rescue, and EMS coverage.

Following the power point presentation, VFW Post Commander Miguel Hernandez presented a check on behalf of the VFW to our organization in the amount of $5,000. This donation has been put towards the purchase of a new power-lift stretcher for our ambulances.

With the cost of a new stretcher exceeding $10,000, this contribution in conjunction with a recently awarded grant will complete the necessary funding required for us to fully purchase much needed emergency equipment.

The new stretcher will be a battery powered stretcher to assist with the lifting of patients into our Ambulances to reduce the risk of injury to our personnel.

Westwood Ambulance Service is located out of two stations in Valley Township and the Wagontown Fire Company in West Caln Township; now servicing more than 28,000 residents over an area of 51 square miles. Our Ambulances are called for emergencies more than 2,200 times per year on average.

We cannot thank the Downingtown VFW Post enough for their generosity. This contribution will be greatly beneficial to our volunteer and career EMS providers by preventing back injuries in addition to providing expedited care to the residents we serve.