Wish List — Updated July 2021

**All of this equipment has been carefully selected and already picked out by the EMS and Fire Chiefs based on the needs of the Blanco County ESD No. 2. If you are interested in sponsoring a specific piece of equipment or want to contribute specifically to obtaining something on the list please email us at blancofireems@gmail.com and we will get you an amount. Thank you.

Radios       
Radios are critical infrastructure that allows our crews to receive, respond and communicate at incidents. Our current radios in the vehicles are outdated and no longer produced, we have begun to phase in radios as we purchase new vehicles but the cost to do it at once is expensive. We currently need 5 mobile radios, which are considered in vehicle radios, these radios run $6500 per radio. We’re also short on handheld radios, which are the radios the personnel carry while on duty and what the use to communicate with at an incident. We currently need 6 handheld radios, these radios run $8000 per radio.  

AED’s            
One of the goals for the department is to have every department owned vehicle equipped with an AED, this way all vehicles are equipment to assist a patient in a cardiac arrest. We currently need 6 AED’s to reach our goal, AED’s are running around $2,000 per unit.

Rescue Equipment      
Items include confined space and high angle rescue equipment, scene lighting, hazmat equipment and air bags. Each piece of equipment ranging in price but totaling $18,000 if purchased all together.

Personnel Protection Equipment        
Items include Swift water gear, extrication gear, bunker gear, wildland gear and SCBA masks. Each piece of equipment ranging in price but totaling $12,000 if purchased all together.

Ballistic Vests

Protecting our emergency personnel is of the utmost importance in any community but especially to us, the Blanco community.  Our emergency personnel respond to many volatile situations daily – including assaults, mental health problems, overdoses, etc.  The ballistic vests would considerably enhance their level of safety in the field.  Additionally, protection provided by these vests is a critical component in the first responders’ ability to respond to an active shooter incident.  The Auxiliary wants to purchase eight (8) or more vests at $1,000-$1,200 per vest. The vests are exceptionally durable and adjustable, take seconds to don and doff, and provide the best combination of protection, adaptability, and function. 

This would provide our emergency personnel with the protection they need to continue to serve the Blanco community.

Stryker Stair-PRO

These situations come with a real potential for back injury. Strain on the back from lifting and lowering patients down stairs can add up over time. Reviewing loss/injury records reveals that many times injuries or episodes of pain are the result of bringing overweight or obese patients up or down stairs and repeatedly moving patients, even those who are not overweight, over stairs. With 1 in 4 EMS workers suffering a career-ending back injury within the first four years of employment in the US alone, we are seeking options that help reduce this risk. The old adage goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” and the ounce in this case is a stair chair. The implementation of the Stryker Stair-PRO stair chair could reduce the risk of injury to medics, firefighters and patients during stairway transport.

Through a generous GVTC grant, we received funds to purchase one stair chair ($3,643.95 value as of 1/27/20) but need one for each ambulance. Therefore, we are seeking funding for two (2) additional stair chairs ($7,287.90) so that we can put the power to help reduce the risk back in our hands! If you are aware of any funding sources for this project, please contact the Blanco Co Fire & EMS Auxiliary by email at blancofireems@gmail.com. Thank you!