For emergency patients, having first responders equipped with the right tools and the right training can mean the difference between life and death. Thanks to a recent grant from our Women’s Fund, responders from Firelands Ambulance Service Volunteer Association now have access to specially-sized pediatric kits that take the guesswork out caring for one-year-old through adolescent patients.

Soon, they will be able to add advanced neonatal kits to support newborn patients in the critical first moments of life. This equipment is especially important in the Ambulance Service’s rural coverage area of 127 square miles, which includes Mennonite communities where home births are common. The association serves residents of Ashland and Huron Counties and provides mutual aid to other Ashland County departments.