Walker upgrades emergency equipment

New roofs and better equipment are coming soon for Walker County Emergency Services.

Thanks to approximately $185,000 in SPLOST funding, Fire Chief Randy Camp began the process of reroofing fire stations Nos. 1 and 6 last week along with purchasing new equipment. He opened bids for both projects but they have not yet been awarded.

"Both of these [stations] have been leaking for a couple of years," he said in regards to the need for new roofs. "This should resolve the mold and mildew issues we've been dealing with."

The new equipment purchase includes stair chairs and automatic stretchers that lift patients into the emergency vehicle without requiring manpower from emergency personnel. Both types of new equipment give the patient more flexibility in how they are positioned when being moved and make it easier on the first responders, said Camp.

"The stair chairs are much better [than traditional stretchers] when you're trying to get a patient down stairs, because [traditional stretchers] put you in an awkward position that can cause injury," he said.

One workers' compensation injury last year that resulted in an employee being unable to come back to work cost the department approximately $100,000, said Camp. The new equipment purchases pay for themselves if they prevent that from happening again, he said.

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