Community foundation provides grant to Three Rivers EMS
Members of Whitefish Community Foundation Board of Directors present a Major Grant of $15,000 to Three Rivers EMS of Columbia Falls to help toward the purchase of an ambulance cardiac monitor. (Courtesy photo)
The Whitefish Community Foundation recently awarded a Major Community Project Grant of $15,000 to Three Rivers EMS to help purchase ambulance cardiac monitors.
Three Rivers EMS is an independent, nonprofit ambulance service located in Columbia Falls. The organization provides Advanced Life Support care to a large rural area including Columbia Falls, Hungry Horse, Martin City, Coram, West Glacier, Glacier National Park, Essex, and mutual aid to Evergreen and Whitefish. Three ambulances respond to one thousand, four hundred 911 calls annually with a paramedic and an Emergency Medical Technician 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Recently, EMT Misty Archer-Westgard contacted Whitefish Community Foundation regarding replacement of their aging Zoll E-Series ambulance cardiac monitors. As of February 2021, the manufacturer of these monitors will no longer service or certify them, leaving Three Rivers EMS without cardiac monitors – a critical piece of equipment required for ambulance operation. At a cost of $15,000 to $18,000 for a refurbished monitor, and $30,000 for a new one, this creates a significant and urgent need for funding.
The Major Community Project Fund at Whitefish Community Foundation is dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations complete capital projects of all shapes and sizes. Since inception, $589,000 has been awarded to projects selected by the Whitefish Community Foundation Board of Directors that will have a significant and positive effect on the community. This $15,000 Grant will help Three Rivers EMS reach their goal of replacing cardiac monitors, but they will need additional funding. Individuals and businesses interested in learning more should contact Misty Archer-Westgard at (406) 892-4244 for information about the project and how they can help.
For more information about the Whitefish Community Foundation, visit whitefishcommunityfoundation.org or call 406-863-1781. The Whitefish Community Foundation is dedicated to fostering philanthropy, building endowments, and helping donors and nonprofits benefit the community.