Kiwanis Grant to Help Fire Department Help Kids

Children needing an ambulance in Westlake will soon be transported even more safely, thanks to a grant secured by .

The grant is for $1,000 from Kiwanis International. It will be used to buy at least three Pedi-Mate restraint systems, which help keep children secure on a gurney when they're being taken to the hospital in an ambulance, for .

"Kids can slide and roll around when they're on a gurney," said Westlake Kiwanis president Rick Grane. "They can even fall off. This will keep them safe so they won't hurt themselves further."

Grane consulted with Lt. Craig Dayton of the Fire Department to find out what child-related items the department needed.

He had never written a grant proposal before, but in June, Grane sat down and wrote about three pages to Kiwanis International explaining what Westlake Kiwanis was seeking and why it was needed.

"This is pretty big for us," Grane said. "We've never gotten a grant for something like this before."

The grant will cover three Pedi-Mates at around $270 each. That will allow each of Westlake's three EMT trucks to have one.

Grane said he is hoping that he and the Fire Department can work with the manufacturer to throw in a fourth so the departmet has a spare. If that doesn't work, Grane said, the rest of the grant will be used to buy replacement straps for the Pedi-Mates.

Grane and Westlake Kiwanis will present the check to the Fire Department in a ceremony at City Hall on Sept. 18.

"It's good for the kids," Grane said. "We try to help the children of the community, and this is a great way to do it."