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By Tara de Ryk DAVIDSON-Davidson Fire Department has a new set of lifesaving tools. Last Wednesday, the department put a new set of vehicle extrication tools into service. Also known as the Jaws of Life, the set of hydraulic tools, which includes spreaders, cutters and a power pack are used to rescue crash victims. The set the fire department has purchased is a demo unit and is worth about $18,500, considerably less than a brand new set, fire chief Clayton Schilling said. The Highway 11 Emergency Response Area, formerly known as the fire board, set aside funds for the purchase in this year's budget. Schilling said the fire department needed to buy a new set of Jaws to replace the original set the department bought many years ago. He said the spreaders were old and needed replacing and to buy a new set of spreaders cost more than buying the entire unit. Davidson Fire Department uses the Jaws of Life on emergency calls throughout the area, including on Highway 11 between Bladworth and Chamberlain. The local emergency responders have also put the Jaws of Life into action, rescuing people trapped in vehicles along Highway 2 and west over to Elbow and Gardiner Dam Terminal. The equipment purchase was assisted by a $3,500 donation from Affinity Credit Union's community development fund. The leaderonline is a division of The Davidson Leader, Davidson, Saskatchewan, Canada. |