Last Wednesday, the Garretson Fire Department received $7,500 from CHS through the company's Seeds for Stewardship program for an extrication tool known as the Jaws of Life.
The new tool, which helps first responders open vehicles that have been in accidents, will be electric, which increases efficiency and ease of use.
"Our current extrication tools require three people to operate," said GFD grant writer Dan Wagner in the application for the grant, which CHS provided to the Gazette. "Being a 100% volunteer organization, we are constantly adding and training new members. This makes it difficult for every member to learn and remain efficient with different equipment."
The new tool will allow for one user and allow other first responders to concentrate on providing service to any victims, and is more easily transported into areas the first responder truck cannot access but the wildland response vehicle can.
The grant is a 50/50 match, and the department already had the tool on order last week.
"We budget every year for stuff like this," GFD Assistant Chief Todd Fink said. "[But] costs keep going up...we find ourselves applying for more and more grants."
The grant was provided by CHS Seeds for Stewardship, which is given to "worthy organizations or programs in need of financial support that align with our core focus," said Diana Nelson of CHS. Those areas include improving safety in agriculture, cultivating leaders, and supporting rural communities. The grant is provided through CHS, Inc of Brandon and the CHS Foundation out of Inver Grove Heights, MN.
The Garretson Fire Department was one of two communities awarded the grant and was one of six applicants. The other community was the Tracy, Minnesota Ambulance.
Seeds for Stewardship has three opportunities per year for grant application, and generally awards the money during January and February.
