Minn. Fire Department Uses $1M Grants for EMS Equipment and Incident Command Training

July 28--The St. Paul Fire Department will increase its training, thanks to more than $1 million from three grants.

The department said Friday, July 27, that three grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and several foundations would focus on buying life-saving equipment and enhancing rescue training and exercises.

The first grant, for $198,000, will be used to buy 13 CPR machines for advanced life support paramedic ambulances. The LUCAS chest compression machines will allow paramedics to focus on other medical steps while it provides consistent CPR. The department is the last in the metro area to implement LUCAS.

The grant is funded through groups including the United Hospital Foundation, the Saint Paul Fire Foundation and the Minnesota Resuscitation Consortium with support from Mayor Chris Coleman, Regions Hospital EMS and Allina Medical Transportation.

The second grant, for $1.75 million, will be shared with 18 other fire departments in the state to train fire officers in "emergency incident command and control," St. Paul Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard said. All 433 sworn officers in the department will go through the online and simulator training. Part of the funds will be cover overtime needed for training.

The final grant, also from FEMA, will provide more than $300,000 to buy "swift-water rescue equipment, maritime training, extrication and driver safety courses, and live-fire exercises for fire crews," according to the news release.

FEMA required that a percentage of the grants be matched. The matching $100,000 came from the department's 2012 budget, said Clarise Tushie-Lessard of the mayor's office.

Emily Cutts can be reached at 651-265-2480

Copyright 2012 - Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.