Big Falls receives federal grant for rescue vehicle

A federal grant will make the north woods in central Koochiching County easier to reach in an emergency.
U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar announced that the city of Big Falls will receive a $14,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program to purchase an off-road rescue vehicle for its fire department.
“This new vehicle will be used for remote medical rescues,” said Big Falls Fire Chief Dave Larson. “Hunters, ATV riders and even horseback riders are often in need of our assistance. I believe that making the woods near Big Falls safer will actually help boost tourism in our region. This is a real benefit for the entire community.”
Oberstar said studies show that trauma deaths are statistically much higher in rural areas, due to the added time it takes to transport patients to emergency rooms.
“In an emergency, every second counts. We need to make sure that our first responders are equipped to get to the scene of a medical emergency quickly,” said Oberstar.