LAKETOWN TWP. — A recent grant from the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council will help the Graafschap Fire Department expand efforts to enhance community safety.
The department received a $3,377 Community Enhancement Program Grant from the MACC to purchase two AED (Automated External Defibrillator) trainer units. AEDs are medical devices that analyze heart rhythm and deliver an electric shock to restore normal rhythm, if needed.
GFD used a similar grant to purchase CPR mannequins last year.
“Our next step is to provide CPR/AED classes internally and for the general public as part of our Community Risk Reduction Program,” Captain Dave Grumney wrote in a release.
Two members of the department are currently enrolled in an AED instructor class. Once certified, they'll teach internal staff and the general public how to use the devices.
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The trainer units mimic the actual AED process, but do not deliver a shock.
The Graafschap Fire Department is located at 4534 60th St. in Laketown Township. In addition to CPR and AED training efforts, GFD offers free home safety inspections, blood pressure checks on Wednesdays, and quarterly blood drives.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Graafschap Fire turns attention to AED training
