CALEB NICKERSON
SHAWVILLE Aug. 21, 2019
The Shawville-Clarendon Fire Department recently acquired some swanky new hardware thanks to the fundraising efforts of the . . .
local Lions Club and the community at large.
One of the large purchases is the filling station that’s been up and running for the last month or so. Chief Lee Laframboise explained that with more than 60 air tanks to keep topped up for their breathing apparatus, he previously had to make several trips up to the Fort Coulonge department.
“You have to change the air in them every six months, minimum, plus all the ones you use at fires,” he said. “It’s 10 bucks a tank to get them filled there … You can’t take all your tanks at one time, so I could only take a dozen. That meant, just to get through the 60, it was like five trips.”
He added that he will now be able to provide the filling service to neighbouring departments. The system cost approximately $46,000 with delivery and installation included and Laframboise said that the Shawville Lions kicked in a hefty $5,000 for the project.
“I went to one of the meetings and presented what we wanted to buy, they wanted to know how much I needed,” he explained.
Laframboise added that while they have fundraisers throughout the year for general expenses, he has found that by advertising their goal to purchase specific equipment, people are more inclined to donate. Lion Kerry Sharpe agreed with his assessment, and said the Lions have taken a similar approach.
“We used to say we’re just having a fundraiser. Now we’re actually putting a name on each one and we find there’s more money coming in,” Sharpe said, pointing to their recent barbeque for CHEO, which brought in $2,400. “If people know where their money’s going, it seems to help, for everybody.”
Laframboise was also keen to show off the new battery powered Jaws of Life that they purchased, as well as a windshield cutting kit. He explained that while it doesn’t replace their generator-powered Jaws, the portability of the new set, which weighs around 40 lbs, makes it very useful in certain situations.
“If somebody’s trapped in a car, you can grab this and pop the door off quick,” he said.
He spoke about a call they got fairly recently where a man was trapped in a skidder, far away from the road and the firefighters had to haul in their bulky, hydraulic equipment to rescue him.
“If you had a couple batteries and that, it would have been a lot easier,” he said. “There’s all kinds of applications where it could work.”
In addition to the electric Jaws, which cost $15,000, Laframboise was also enthused with a new windshield cutting kit that would make extracting victims from vehicles much more expedient. It was purchased for around $1,000.
