Maria Bennett (special to the News Journal)
CIRCLEVILLE – Box65 is working to raise $2,000 to purchase a heating unit to equip its second response vehicle to aid in its mission of supporting public safety crews at emergency scenes.
The all-volunteer auxiliary unit of the Circleville Fire Department works to keep crews fed and hydrated year-round, as well as warm in the winter and cool in the summer while they are working to protect the public.
Darryl Ward, president of the non-profit group, has created a GoFundMe page to help reach the goal. It can be found online at www.gofundme.com/l1qh6k.
According to Mark Adkins, scene support coordinator for Box65, the heater is the same equipment donated by The Savings Bank for the unit’s first scene support truck. It will bring the second truck, which was donated by Joe DeFelice and the Harrison Township Trustees, up to response readiness.
“We don’t have all the components we would like to see on it, but the heater will be a big step,” Adkins said.
Adkins said the second truck will be an enormous benefit for the unit, which has grown from three members to 18 in just the past year.
In 2013, Box65 responded to eight emergency scenes. That figure jumped to 27 in 2014, with four of those within a 24-hour period and two back-to-back.
In addition to the fundraising effort for the new heater, Box65 is always looking for donations for general purchases, such as water and Gatorade for firefighters on extended calls.
“We have plenty of water right now, but we really need small bottles of Gatorade,” Adkins said. “We use those to rehydrate the firefighters when they first come out, and then we provide warm drinks like coffee and things to warm them up in the winter.”
Adkins said Gatorade and other supplies can be dropped off any time at the Circleville Fire Department in the city or the Harrison Township Fire Department in Ashville. All donations are tax deductible, so donors should leave their name and address with the donated items to have a receipt mailed to them.
Monetary donations also can be accepted by mail to Box65, P.O. Box 65, Circleville, Ohio 43113.
This article originally appeared on The Pickaway News Journal
