ST. GEORGE — Local fire departments have been seeing the philanthropic results of last July’s Salute to America event.
Representatives from Statpacks, the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce and ServePro delivered the Statpack products that will help provide accessible medical equipment required daily by the first responders.
Among the fire stations that have received deliveries are Washington, Santa Clara-Ivins, Hurricane, St. George, Dammeron Valley, Apple Valley and Central.
Statpacks Public Relations Director Charli Nelson said the organization donated three bigger bags with seven additional smaller “cell” container bags.
Washington City Battalion Chief Dan Cazier said the kits are then loaded with medical gear including IVs, tourniquets, splinting and bandaging, ring-cutters and more.
The Washington City business has made multiple charitable donations of their safety products to the local school district, among other community organizations.
As previously reported by St. George News, the Salute to America event presented by Black Desert Resort is held every year during July. St. George Area Chamber of Commerce President Shawn Christensen cohosted the event with the Hurricane Valley Area Chamber of Commerce.
The event has had some reputable guests. On July 13, Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson made a showing before the event started. The keynote speaker for the summer’s event was former Utah Speaker of the House Brad Wilson. Gov. Spencer Cox also has attended.
Christensen said the event is staged through the chamber’s foundation every year with the profit raised going towards the purchase of safety equipment for first responders.
This year their fundraising target was local fire departments. Next are the police, then veterans and then the firefighters again.
“We just came up with this idea this year,” he said. “We’ve done Salute to America for many years. This year is when we finally decided what we wanted to do to give back to the business community and community at large.”
The chamber’s administrative assistant Janalynn Preece and ServPro representative Crystal Matulovich helped make the delivery with Nelson.
ServPro was one of the supporting sponsors for the event along with Statpacks and Sirq Construction. The board of governors’ sponsor was TechRidge.
About $1,600 was raised by the chamber while the total value of the bags was over $7.000 with the difference pitched in by Statpacks.
“Statpack goes on your back. You can carry it easy, have your hands free, have all of your equipment with you,” Cazier said. “We have tried others over the years. This is the best there is out there.”
Nelson said there are even better product designs in the works.
“I think sometimes we take for granted how heavy the lift is for them (first responders) being in the Greater Zion area,” Christensen said.
For example, during the weekend of their first delivery, first responders were present at multiple events, including the Red Bull Rampage, the Huntsman Senior Games and the solar eclipse.
He said the Hurricane, St. George and Santa Clara-Ivins firehouses had only one or two people available as everyone else was out on calls.
“These folks are extremely busy,” he said. “They deserve the recognition.”
Christensen said Salute to America will grow with all of the businesses and sponsors already committed for each year.
“This business community loves our first responders and wants to do anything to help them,” he said.
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