Grant equips country fire brigades with defibrillators

LIFE SAVING EQUIPMENT: Kingsley Country Fire Service group officer Grant Fensom with one of two new defibrillators purchased for the Mount Schank and Allendale brigades. Picture: BRITTANY DENTON

LIFE saving equipment has been purchased for two of the Kingsley Country Fire Service brigades after the group received a $5000 grant from the Stand Like Stone Foundation.

Two defibrillators are now on hand at both Mount Schank and Allendale – a potentially life saving purchase which has been a long time coming, according to Kingsley CFS group officer Grant Fensom.

“For a number of years now we have been buying defibrillators for each brigade in the group,” Mr Fensom said.

“They were purchased through our levy funds whenever we had enough money squirrelled away in our budget – if we had two grand spare we would do some type of fundraiser to buy a defibrillator.

“Two of our brigades – Mount Schank and Allendale – still did not have them and a generous grant from the Stand Like Stone Foundation has allowed us to fast track the process.”

Mr Fensom said he applied for funding through the Stand Like Stone annual small grants program.

“Stand Like Stone was kind enough to donate $5000 to buy the remaining two defibrillators,” he said.

“Now every brigade in the Kingsley group, from Blackfellows Caves to Donovans, all have them, which is just fantastic.

“To have these at each station is especially important in regional communities.

“Our ambulance service is incredible, but 20 minutes is 20 minutes and it might be lifesaving to have a defibrillator in town.”