Area Freemasons make donation in support of Wisconsin State Patrol’s public safety mission
FREEMASONS were joined by Sgt. Robert Unruh and Trooper Joe Gilltrap from the Wisconsin State Patrol. —photo submitted
MADISON – Area members of the Wisconsin Freemasons made a significant donation today towards providing life-saving Fire Suppression Tools and AED defibrillators to be carried in all Wisconsin State Patrol vehicles across the state.
An initial donation of sixteen (16) “Emergency Jump Bags” was presented to an officer of the Wisconsin State Patrol in Baldwin yesterday October 5, 2023. Wisconsin Freemasons plan to immediately donate 57 of these bags to State Patrol officers around the state this year with a pledge to continue the donations until all 500 State Patrol vehicles are equipped with these life-saving devices.
Each “Emergency Jump Kit” donated by the Freemasons will contain one (1) state-of-the-art Fire Suppression Tool (FST) and one (1) AED defibrillator.
• The FST from Fire Suppression Solutions is a tremendously effective fire suppression device that, once activated, emits a nontoxic aerosol that can drop the temperature of an enclosed fire by over 1,000 degrees – and contain or even fully extinguish a fire within 30 seconds. Wisconsin Freemasons have donated over 350 of these units to first responders across Wisconsin in the past year, 14 of which have already been used to save lives, pets, and property.
• The Zoll AED defibrillator has been extremely effective in delivering an electronic shock to resuscitate a heartbeat for victims of cardiac arrest. The Freemasons have donated several hundreds of such devices to community centers across the state in the last decade, which have been directly credited with saving at least 14 lives.
Coupling these two devices together in a bright yellow jump bag in the trunks of State Patrol vehicles will increase and enhance public safety throughout the state. State Patrol officers are often one of the immediate first responders to arrive on the scene of a fire or crash, especially in rural areas.
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“Wisconsin Freemasons have a long history of supporting the first responders in our state,” said Bryce Fransway, who serves as the regional leader of the Freemasons Lodges in the Northwestern Wisconsin. “Making our communities safer and stronger is the common goal of both Freemasons and first responders – and we are proud to make this donation today to help us both achieve that objective.”
In the past five years, the Wisconsin State Patrol has been deployed to administer CPR more than 700 times, has been called to over 2,400 fires, and responded to over 1,000 other medical emergencies. Having these life-saving FST and AED tools in their vehicles will help save additional property and lives.
The emergency equipment was purchased through a generous donation from the Wisconsin Masonic Foundation, the fundraising and philanthropic arm of Wisconsin Freemasonry. To meet the goal of the additional 440 bags, Masonic Lodges throughout the state will hold community events and regional fundraisers to raise the money needed.
“This is what Masons do – we help build better men, better families, and better communities,” said Peter Tourville, President of the Wisconsin Masonic Foundation.
“We are proud of and excited to support the Wisconsin State Patrol and look forward to helping them protect and serve the citizens of Wisconsin in any ways we can.”
Freemasonry is the world’s oldest and largest fraternal organization with over 170 Lodges in Wisconsin. For more information on Wisconsin Freemasons or to make a donation towards the purchase of additional “Emergency Jump Bags”, please visit wimasons.org or contact your local Freemasons Lodge.
