LUXEMBURG (NBC 26) — For the Luxemburg Community Fire Department, saving lives right now means they either need to use what they say is an outdated Automated External Defibrillator (AED) or borrowing one from the Luxemburg Rescue Team.
But that will change soon.
"That will stay in one of these trucks, and correspond with the one the Luxemburg Rescue Squad carries with them," Luxemburg fire chief (1st assistant) Mike Beyer said about the new AED on the way.
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A few weeks ago, two Luxemburg first responder groups each received $2,000 from Wisconsin Public Service's Rewarding Responders Grants.
The fire department purchased a new AED with the money, while the police department purchased new protective vests.
Beyer says the benefits go beyond his department.
"It's great," he said. "The more money, more grants, more donations we can get, it takes a lot off the taxpayers' shoulders."
WPS Foundation president Beth Straka says the grants mean more than new equipment or training sessions.
"Their true impact is felt when seconds are saved, damage is prevented and people's lives return to normal because first responders had the tools they needed to prevent serious harm," she said.
Since the program began in 2014, WPS Foundation has donated more than $750,000 to help first responders improve public safety, which Beyer appreciates.
"It's great to have a corporation like WPS willing to donate money to public safety," he said.
Beyer says that the new AED should arrive in about a week.
