Crime & Safety
Gwinnett Fire Receives Donation for Life Saving Equipment
Smoke detectors will be handed out to some qualifying residents for free while defibrillators will be installed in some fire vehicles.
The department will soon receive nine defibrillators and 41 smoke detectors thanks to a donation and grant.
Atlanta Supply Co. donated the smoke detectors. They include tamper-proof, photoelectric and hearing-impaired models with a value totaling more than $1,000. They will be distributed to Gwinnett County residents based upon their needs.
The fire department's Community Risk Reduction Education section will conduct needs assessments for those interested.
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The Life Pak 15 defibrillators cost about $270,000. Eighty-percent of the funds to buy the equipment comes from a donation from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security. The Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to foot the bill for the remaining 20 percent. That nearly $54,000 will come from 2009 SPLOST funds for public safety. The devices will be installed on ambulances so rescuers can monitor cardiac and vital signs of emergency patients.
