Westport Volunteer EMS Receives Major Grant

WESTPORT, CT — 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.

According to a press release, 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 its useful life after 16 years of service. (To sign up for Westport breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

"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," Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service President Yves Cantin said in a release. "Nevertheless, large grants like the one from the Daniel Offutt Trust have become essential because of new technology and super inflation in our costs."

"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," Trustee Richard Orenstein said in a release.

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, seven days a week.

Contributed press release.

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