Written by: Audrey Sochor
The men and women of American Legion Post 382 believe in supporting the dedicated first responders who serve their community every day, and on Feb. 13 they presented the St. Clair Police and Fire Departments with a check to purchase equipment upgrades.
“We did this just to give back to the police department and the fire department,” said Post Commander Andy Dupuis. “They’re always out there for us, so we figured they needed some things for their operating purposes, so we’d figure we’d help them out a little bit.”
The money came from proceeds of the post’s St. Clair Police & Fire Department Appreciation Day dinner and raffle on Sept. 29, 2017 as well as a yard sign selling campaign that startedmonths earlier. In all, the American Legion raised $22,650.
Fire Chief David Westrick, said the fire department used its share to purchase a LUCAS device, which costs $15,000 a piece. This lifesaving piece of equipment helps if someone has a heart attack or goes into anaphylactic arrest because it does consistent and uninterrupted chest compressions.
The donated money the police department received will go towards the purchase of computer software that will aid with investigation.
“A lot of it is no specific large item like the fire department was wanting, but a lot of the small, miscellaneous items our budget simply doesn’t cover,” said Patrol Officer Doug Schneider.
Jon LaCroix, Post 382 service officer and chairman of the event committee, said 800 people attended the September dinner, which raised $9,000 in one night. He also credits the local business sponsors and the citizens who donated their time and money to make this possible.
“It was just really great to see the community come forward with such numbers,” said Officer Schneider. “It was really all just support and everything that they did showed that for us.”
