Dale Jones and Joan Wing pose next to a new power stretcher and mass casualty response bags donated to the Marion Fire Department by the Marion EMT Association. (Photo courtesy Marion Fire Department) 
Dale Jones is raised into a Marion ambulance as part of a demonstration of the new power stretcher donated recently to the Marion Fire Department by the Marion EMT Association, while firefighter/EMT Robert Joyce and Joan Wing look on. (Photo courtesy Marion Fire Department)
Donations Include New Power Stretcher, Mass Casualty Response Bags
MARION — Chief Brian Jackvony is pleased to announce that the Marion Fire Department has received donations from the Marion EMT Association of multiple pieces of equipment to assist firefighters in the course of their duties.
The donations include a new power stretcher and mass casualty response bags.
The stretcher features a battery-powered hydraulic system that raises and lowers at the touch of a button, making it easier for crews to load a patient into an ambulance.
The mass casualty response bags feature a variety of tools and medical supplies that could prove life-saving in a number of emergency situations.
“We are extremely grateful to the Marion EMT Association for their generous support of the Marion Fire Department,” Chief Jackvony said. “These donations are just the latest example of the charity’s support to our department over the years.”
The Marion EMT Association charity was established 40 years ago by James S. Dougall and others. Dougall was one of the paramedics and EMT’s who ran Marion’s ambulance service for many years, starting in 1977. When the members of the Marion Emergency Medical Service received a rather substantial bequeath from a local woman’s will, the group decided to establish a charity for the benefit of Marion residents.
Dougall was instrumental in establishing the Marion EMT Association for the purposes of improving and maintaining the quality of emergency medical care in town.
As a result of his initiative, the charity was established in March 1980. Since that time the charity has helped to purchase more than $200,000 worth of equipment that has aided Marion Fire Department personnel in accomplishing their objectives and serving residents. This includes AED’s that have been placed in Marion schools and police cruisers, monitors for the use of Marion paramedics, and stretchers and chairs for use in the Marion ambulances.
Want to Contribute?
The Marion EMT Association is always accepting tax-deductible donations. Contributions may be forwarded to the charity’s treasurer, Joan Wing, at 651 Point Road, Marion.
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