If anyone knows the life-saving value of donated blood, it’s firefighters.
On May 2, from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Port Moody firefighters will be rolling up their sleeves and putting their best forearms forward as the department hosts its fifth annual blood donor clinic at its Inlet Centre fire hall.
And you can, too.
Port Moody Fire Chief Ron Coulson said the clinic is an important community initiative that hits close to home for firefighters, who are often the first to attend to trauma victims at incidents such as motor vehicle collisions. Last year, those kinds of calls amounted to 11% of the department’s call-outs.
“We do recognize the work we do around the clinic is related to the work we do in the field,” Coulson said.
While Coulson said his firefighters aren’t obligated to donate blood themselves, clinic day is an all-hands effort that will see the department’s equipment moved out of the four large truck bays so clinicians and volunteers from Canadian Blood Services (CBS) can move in.
“That’s why we hope for a nice day,” Coulson said, adding the clinic has no effect on the department's ability to respond to emergencies.
While last year’s clinic collected 130 units of blood, the goal for this year is a more modest 73 as CBS won’t be sending as large an operation.
While the capacity for donations may not be as great, Coulson said the need never diminishes.
• To register for the PoMo firefighters’ clinic, go to www.blood.ca or call 1-888-2DONATE and reference the May 2 clinic at 150 Newport Dr.
