Beaumont donates nearly $150,000 to local fire departments for lifesaving equipment

Fire Departments in the cities of Ecorse, Romulus and Wayne can provide better emergency care and service to residents, thanks to grants from Beaumont Hospitals in Wayne and Dearborn.

With funds from Beaumont, the Wayne hospital recently purchased three heart monitor-defibrillators for the Wayne community and two more for Romulus. This new equipment will replace outdated units the cities would not have been able to afford due to budget limitations.

In addition, Beaumont Hospital, Dearborn purchased two durable tablets for patient care reporting by first responders for the Ecorse Fire Department, who will be returning to serve the residents of Ecorse several months after the city came from under State oversight, which resulted in the temporary elimination of public services in the city.

"Truly, Beaumont has been a big lifesaver for us," said Fred Gilstorff, recently retired deputy chief of the Wayne Fire Department. "Our hands were tied in terms of having the funds for these machines."

Beaumont covered the full cost of the monitors and durable tablets for the three fire departments, which totaled nearly $150,000 for the cash-strapped municipalities.

"Our foundation has funds earmarked for community benefit," said Eric Widner, division president of Beaumont, Wayne. "Providing this much needed support for our communities and collaborating with the first responders that serve them is one of the most important and vital ways we can give back."

The five new defibrillators can monitor blood pressure and pulse while measuring oxygen saturation. They are capable of three lead continuous monitoring, 12 lead diagnostic testing, electrical defibrillation as an intervention in cardiac arrest, and non-invasive cardiac pacing for abnormal and unstable, slow cardiac rhythms.

The durable tablets in Ecorse will improve overall quality of care for patients and aid in communication and collaboration between first responders and hospital clinicians.

"Now that we are reinstating our fire department and providing new equipment for use in the field, we couldn't be more appreciative of receiving this funding," said Franklin Hayes, EMS Coordinator for the Ecorse Fire Department. "We, along with the cities of Romulus and Wayne, thank Beaumont for their generous support," he said.

John Cargill, trauma program manager at Beaumont, Wayne, said the donations are as important for the hospitals as they are for the fire departments and residents.

"There has been a consistently good relationship between the local fire departments and Beaumont Hospitals," said Cargill. "We are partners in care of the community and we depend upon and serve each other."