Edmonson County Ambulance Service Receives $87K Grant

Edmonson Co. Ambulance Service (EdVoice file photo).

Edmonson Voice Staff
The Edmonson County Ambulance Service received notification on July 3, 2015 that it has been awarded a grant from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program in the amount of $87,715.00.  The award will be used to purchase power-loading cot fastener systems for three ambulances.  These systems greatly reduce the risk of injury to EMS personnel when loading and unloading stretchers from the back of an ambulance as well as eliminating the risk of a patient being dropped during the loading/unloading process.  The equipment that is to be purchased with this award will also meet new safety guidelines that went into effect July 1st of this year.  

Edmonson County Ambulance Service Director Keith Sanders said this is the first time that Edmonson County Ambulance Service has received this type of grant.  "This funding will allow us to purchase equipment that otherwise we would not have the money to purchase," he said.  "This equipment can also be removed from an ambulance that is being replaced and reinstalled in a new ambulance, thus extending the usable life of the equipment." 

A statement from the AFG website said "The primary goal of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations. Since 2001, AFG has helped firefighters and other first responders to obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.  This program is administered by the US Department of Homeland Security/FEMA."

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant is an extremely competitive grant with only around 13% of applications receiving funding.

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