Diller Volunteer Fire Department

Goal: $10,000.00

Specific Need

Purchase of: Battery powered Amkus Extrication Tools

As technology advances throughout the years with things like automobiles, farm equipment, and any other type of equipment that can be run by a person, the harder it is for first responders to deal with these more advanced things. Vehicles and other equipment are being made of tougher materials to help improve safety for the people in them. This makes it tougher for first responders to get someone out of a vehicle crash without having the right equipment.

Currently, Diller Fire & Rescue has a set of Hydraulic Extrication Tools (Jaws of Life) that we purchased used from Fairbury Fire Department several years ago. We have found out as the structures of vehicles are getting tougher, our tools don’t have the power to cut and pry open when people are trapped in a vehicle. The time it takes for our tools to open a car to extricate a victim is about two times as long as the newer battery powered extrication equipment that is on the market today. When seconds count when dealing with a critical patient, we don’t have the time to wait for another department to come from Fairbury or any of the other surrounding departments.

With the new battery powered Amkus Extrication Tools, our department would have the ability to get a patient out of whatever they are trapped in. These tools would allow us to deal with any type of vehicle, whether it is a car, semi, tractor, or even a school bus. These tools would not only be used to get people out of wrecked cars, but they would also be used in farm equipment accidents too. If a person has their leg or arm caught in a corn head on a combine, we would be able to use this equipment to spread apart the stalk rollers to get the person out without having to take extra time of taking it apart piece by piece. Every second we can save, give a person a better chance of survival.

Mission

Diller Fire & Rescue has a mission to provide the best public safety to the citizens of the Diller and Harbine area, along with all of Jefferson County through a mutual aid agreement with the rest of the great departments in Jefferson County.