Fruitland Fire District receives grant for safety equipment

The Fruitland Area Fire Protection District is a recipient of a Missouri Employers Mutual Safety Grant for new equipment that can minimize risk during rescues.

The $4,300 grant will go toward purchasing rope rescue kits that are easier to deploy than the older systems the fire district is currently using, Fire Chief Rob Francis said. One of the kits, the CMC Double Clutch TTRS, is a backpack kit containing mechanical rope braking systems, pulleys, carabiners, edge protectors for the ropes, anchor straps and rope.

The fire district will also be purchasing CMC Aztec systems that make moving patients easier by allowing a firefighter to attach to a basket litter. The system can also be used to transfer loads and lower firefighters down embankments.

"Low-angle rope rescue equipment makes rescues much safer on slopes and inclines," Francis said in an email.

Slips and trips can occur during rescues and result in falls that can further injury patients and potentially injure the rescuer, Francis said. The rope systems will prevent slips and trips from turning into falls.

The rope systems also allow rescuers to use less strain to move weight. They create a "three to one" meaning, for example, moving 150 pounds. only requires 50 pounds of strength," Francis said.

"This adds in safety to the rescuers in the aspect that they are not under as much muscle strain in unstable terrain," Francis said

The fire district is among 14 entities in the state to receive $107,000 worth of grants from MEM. The insurance company has awarded $2.2 million in grants since 2016, Laura Gerding, corporate communications strategist for MEM, said