WILDWOOD, NJ – The City of Wildwood Fire Department (WFD) is proud to announce that it has been awarded a Fiscal Year 2023 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) totaling $51,182. This grant will be used to purchase two automatic chest compression (ACC) units and ten automated external defibrillators (AEDs) as part of the department’s "Mission: Critical Cardiac Care" initiative. The new AEDs will be deployed in four ambulances, fire apparatus, two beach ATVs, and other response vehicles, ensuring that life-saving equipment is readily available across the department's fleet.
The WFD recently conducted a comprehensive risks-and-needs assessment that highlighted the urgent need for the automatic chest compression units. The AEDs currently in use are over ten years old, exceeding their recommended lifespan of seven years per AFG guidelines. With an average of nearly 2,400 EMS calls annually, many of which involve cardiac and respiratory emergencies, the acquisition of ACC units and new AEDs is vital.
Commissioner of Public Safety Steve Mikulski praised his department, “Wildwood Fire Department always puts this community first. Not only do they consider the health and well-being of those in need, but also, they keep the burden of cost from our city taxpayers. This is one of several times the department has received the AFG grant to meet the greater good.”
The WFD’s response area is complicated by extended transport times to the nearest hospitals, particularly during the busy summer months when the city's population surges due to tourism and the traffic increases substantially. With over 9 million visitors each summer, the presence of reliable AEDs on front-line vehicles is crucial to safeguarding the public during cardiac emergencies. Survival rates jump from 10% without AEDs to 70% with them.
This award is particularly significant given the highly competitive nature of the AFG program, which received nearly 7,700 applications requesting $3.7 billion in funding.
Wildwood’s application was written by Triad Associates of Vineland, NJ -- a community and economic development firm that has secured over $1.6 billion in funding for its clients over the past 46 years.
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