The Nicola Valley Health Care Auxiliary recently donated a defibrillator to the Merritt Fire and Rescue Department.
The donated automated external defibrillator, or AED, replaces a model utlized by the department that has been discontinued by the manufacturer, according to Chief Dave Tomkinson.
He added that the generous donation will allow the department to “continue to provide an enhanced level of emergency care.”
It is anticipated that the Merritt Fire and Rescue Department will respond to 400-450 medical emergencies within the Merritt community in 2021, a number that Tomkinson said is exacerbated by both the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid crisis.