Carver's Creek firefighters will now be better equipped to protect both the lives of those they assist, and their own.

The department received two grants this week, a $753.97 grant from the N.C. Dept. of Insurance State Fire Marshall's office, and $28,323 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The state grant helped purchase a portable defibrillator unit, and the federal grant will help replace aging portable breathing units. The defibrillator device-which is so simple an operator needs no special training-is used to re-start an accident victim's heartbeat.

"This will help our first responders quite a bit," Bracey said. "We don't have our own rescue service down here, but our first responders often have to treat fire or wreck victims until EMS arrives."

William Bradbury, special assistant to the insurance commissioner, presented the $753 check to Carver Creek Fire Chief Marion Bracey Tuesday.

Bracey was notified of the FEMA grant last week. The larger grant provides 90 percent of the estimated cost for new breathing units for the department. With the department's 10 percent portion, the total cost for the equipment is $31,470.

The FEMA grant is distributed through the Department of Homeland Security.

The state grant came through the N.C. Volunteer Fire Department Grant Fund. The Office of the State Fire Marshall has distributed over $43 million in grants to fire departments across the state since 1998. Bladen County fire departments have received $74,008.15.

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