Westport Volunteer EMS has received an $80,000 grant from the Daniel Edward Offutt, III Private Foundation Trust to purchase a new state of the art cardiac monitor/defibrillator and to help fund the purchase of a new paramedic fly car. A new Physio-Control Lifepak 15 cardiac monitor/defibrillator, costing $30,000, will replace a 12-year-old Lifepak 12 unit. The new unit features advanced functions such as Carbon monoxide and meth hemoglobin monitoring as well as numerous other advanced functions ranging from vital signs monitoring to heart pacing. In addition, $50,000 is allocated to the replacement of a paramedic fly car that has reached the end of its useful life after 16 years of service.
“We rely primarily on numerous individual donations each year from the community to purchase supplies and fund long-term capital acquisitions necessary to run the ambulance service. Nevertheless, large grants like the one from the Daniel Offutt Trust have become essential because of new technology and super inflation in our costs” said Yves Cantin, President of Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service. Richard Orenstein, Trustee, added “We are pleased to fulfill Dan Offutt’s wish of community support and volunteerism by assisting Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service in its critical life-saving mission.” Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Services dedicates itself to saving lives and providing the best pre-hospital emergency care for all who live, work, or pass through Westport. The organization's 120 volunteers work alongside seven town employees to respond to all medical emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service (WVEMS) is a non-profit, tax-exempt, charitable organization founded in 1979 that serves the Westport, Connecticut community and its nearly 30,000 residents, hundreds of businesses, and some of the busiest roadways and passenger railroads in the country. Each year WVEMS volunteers respond to nearly 2500 emergency medical calls and train over 2,000 in CPR, EMR and EMT classes from their downtown headquarters. The organization relies on tax-deductible donations to buy and maintain a fleet of state-of-the-art emergency vehicles and essential equipment and supplies, from heart monitors to bandages. WVEMS volunteers proudly serve over 18,000 volunteer hours annually.
