"I want everyone to know how grateful we are to receive the Operation Round Up donation," says Great Bend Fire Chief Don Leinen, Jr., "and I want to assure you it will be put to a use beneficial to many people."
The $1000 Operation Round Up grant awarded to the Great Bend Fire District will be used to help defray the costs of a 40,000 pound capacity hydraulic ram for the fire district’s Extrication Unit.
Leinen explains that because Great Bend is only 1 ½ miles from Interstate 29 and commuter traffic from neighboring towns into the Wahpeton area is heavy, they are involved in more rescue calls involving serious vehicle accidents, than fire calls. Often they must remove critically injured persons from wrecked vehicles.
"Every minute counts when you’re trying to get a badly injured person to medical treatment," Leinen explains, "and this hydraulic ram, in certain situations, will allow us in many cases to force the vehicle apart in minutes, rather than spending much greater time cutting it apart."
Twenty of the 28 member all-volunteer fire department are certified in extrication procedures; 13 are also certified as first responders. Like Leinen, who has a full time job at Red River Human Services Foundation in Wahpeton and is a part-time farmer, the volunteers all have jobs in town, or farm in the area.
"This mix works out well, the farmers are able to take the daytime calls, and those who work in town are able to respond in the evenings," he says.
The department has six vehicles including the Extrication Unit.
Leinen explains that the Great Bend Fire District covers 75 square miles, but often they are asked to respond to calls out of the district because of their specialized rescue unit.
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That was when they decided they had to get the equipment and training needed to do rescue and extrication.
They received the truck as a grant from the N.D. State Forestry Service, and have held fund-raisers to equip it properly. Today, the unit has a jaws of life device, hydraulic cutters and 80,000-pound lifting air bag. They also have a hand-operated 10,000-pound capacity ram.
"We've found that in most cases you just can’t do anything with this small ram, and that’s why we’re in the process of raising money for the heavy-duty hydraulic ram," he says.
A new hydraulic ram will cost $3,500. So far, the group has raised about $2,000 towards the total. Leinen explains that they have raised about $1,000 with their fundraising efforts (a community Pancake Feed and the Great Bend Annual Fish Fry) and received $1,000 from the Operation Round Up grant.