VINCE RICHARDSON
Skagit Valley Herald, Mount Vernon, Wash.
(TNS)

SEDRO-WOOLLEY — The Sedro-Woolley City Council authorized the city’s fire department Wednesday to purchase a stretcher, and Mayor Julia Johnson swore in 10 fire department personnel as well as a police officer.

The $30,000 purchase price of the Stryker Pro Stretcher raised some eyebrows.

“They are spendy,” Fire Chief Frank Wagner said. “Even the manual ones are way up there now in price. The last manual one we purchased that had no bells, whistles or hydraulics or anything was I believe about $17,000.”

Wagner said this is the fourth such stretcher for the department.

The high-tech stretcher has the ability to lift 700 pounds.

“Even a 200-pound person, if you are taking them in and out of a house and up and down stairs it’s already hard enough,” Wagner said. “With this stretcher, you can make the transition with only two people, instead of four, five or six.

“So it also helps manage resources when you are short on staffing and responding to multiple calls.”

The new stretcher should make things easier on the fire department’s personnel.

Wagner said the department had a firefighter unable to work for about a year after severely injuring a shoulder while transporting a patient.

“You figure one full-time employee, you lose them for a year the amount of overtime you pay not to mention some of these folks never recover and never get to come back to work,” Wagner said.

“It does hurt when you start looking at the bottom of that invoice, but when look at what is saves, it’s worth the price.”

Also Wednesday, the city welcomed 10 fire department personnel — firefighter/EMTs Devon Heckard, Jacob Braaten, LaRen Gevaart-Rossie, Jack Cole, Dillon Russell, Drew Jenkins, Bobby Castilleja and Sean O’Neill, and firefighter/paramedics Brandon Paulson and Philip Chong — and police officer Joseph Eggert.

The city was able to add to its fire department after residents passed a levy for additional funding.

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(c)2024 the Skagit Valley Herald (Mount Vernon, Wash.)

Visit the Skagit Valley Herald (Mount Vernon, Wash.) at www.goskagit.com

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