Chris Fancil, the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory’s EMS Coordinator, talks about plans to acquire medical devices used for CPR. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.

WARSAW – The city of Warsaw is working to help secure two grants that would be used across Kosciusko County to boost emergency radio coverage and provide CPR medical devices with 17 fire departments.

In separate requests, the city will serve as the host applicant in the county’s bid to win a $1 million grant toward the cost of improving emergency communications that will be used to eliminate dead spots.

The city was asked to serve as host because it is part of the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory, which is the biggest fire department in the county.

“A little bit more footprint” will help toward winning the grant, said Mike Wilson, fire chief with Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory.

The county has a committee and a consultant studying the need to improve the radio transmission.

Officials have not pinpointed a cost for the project, but it’s expected to be well over the $1 million they are seeking through the Indiana Homeland Security.

Wilson said all emergency responders, as well as the county highway department, will benefit from the improvement.

“This is an organized effort by everybody in the county to get this done,” said Mayor Joe Thallemer.

Wilson said the county will cover the ten percent match for the grant.

In another matter, the city is seeking grant money from the K21 Health Foundation to cover the cost of 17 Autopulse Mechanical CPR devices for all county fire departments.

The devices are valued at about $225,000.

Under the plan, WWFT would receive three devices and the remainder would be allocated for other departments, Wilson said.

“We have worked closely with Lutheran EMS and the county fire departments for their input and support in this venture,” Wilson told the board of works in a letter.

Wilson said they are also reaching out to work with Parkview EMS.

Cardiac survival in the community is lower than what it should be, according to officials.

According to the fire territory, the survival rate in Kosciusko County is 9%. “We’re trying to change that,” said Chris Fancil, the fire territory’s EMS Coordinator.

“This is K21’s wheelhouse. This is what they want to do with their money and their support, so we’re trying to get them to fund this,” Fancil said.

“We want to be that resource for the county in this,” he said.

Unlike people, who grow tired after doing compressions after a minute, the devices can provide high-quality CPR, he said.

“They don’t wear out. They don’t get tired. They do perfect compressions every time,” Fancil said.

Deadline to file for the grant is Feb. 1. The board approved the request.