By Homer Marquez
Plainview Daily Herald
PLAINVIEW, Texas — Hale Center’s EMS organization will be trying to improve accommodations for their growing department with a little help from an AR-15 rifle and a 50-inch television.
“It’s time for our annual fundraiser,” said Matt Carter, director of the Hale Center Emergency Medical Service. “We want to raise the money this year so we can try to improve some of the facets of our EMS facility.”
To do this, the EMS service has started selling raffle tickets for a DPMS oracle AR-15 5.56/.223 semi-automatic rifle and a 50-inch television.
In the past, the Hale Center department has used the fundraisers to purchase emergency vehicles and vital medical equipment.
This year, the department opted to use the fundraiser to improve living conditions for its growing staff.
“We want to ensure that Hale Center and the surrounding rural residents have advanced life support capabilities 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Carter said.
The Hale Center EMS organization has grown in size in the past several years and they have upgraded their advanced life support capabilities.
The department, which up to a few years ago ran the most basic of staffs, now has a 19-member unit equipped with six paramedics, four advanced-level medics and nine certified emergency medical technicians. In addition, four of the crew members are currently enrolled to receive higher certifications.
With the expansion, more staff is required to stay at their 116 W. Sixth St. location around the clock.
Big projects to improve the EMS facility include heating and cooling repairs, new electrical work and fresh coats of paint to a number of areas.
However, those projects will be covered by the City of Hale Center as a part of the service agreement between the two entities.
“They will bring us up to code, and we are very appreciative for how they have supported us,” Carter said.
Carter said the fundraiser money will go toward remodeling outdated bathrooms, purchasing new bunk beds and bedding for working medics, upgrading the kitchen capabilities and improving laundry access.
“These guys are out in the field risking their necks and trying to save people’s lives. So it’d be good to provide them a nice comfortable place to come back to,” Carter said.
Tickets for the raffle will be available for purchase at the Hale Center EMS location or at the Owl’s Cafe.
Tickets are $10, and the raffle will be held on Saturday, April 4.
“And every dollar that is not anonymous will be accounted for and will have proof of purchase. Anything you donate will go toward something that will have a receipt available and a project done. Everything will be accounted for,” Carter said.
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©2015 the Plainview Daily Herald (Plainview, Texas)