Dateline: April 30, 2009

Hedley supper to raise money for Jaws of Life

By Ashlyn Tubbs, Clarendon Enterprise

The Hedley Fire Department is striving to purchase a new Jaws of Life.

The department’s current Jaws of Life is more than 25 years old; and in order to ensure better safety of those in life-threatening situations, officials say a more efficient version of the tool is needed.

Hedley City Secretary and volunteer fireman Randy Shaw is one citizen who believes the purchase will be beneficial to the community.

“Having a new Jaws of Life will enable the fire department to be more effective if we have to respond to a wreck,” Shaw said. “Since the equipment we have right now is old, it is worn out and not very dependable.”

According to Kathy Spier, an Amarillo fire chief has been contacted concerning the Amarillo Fire Department’s Jaws of Life and has provided information toward getting a grant. The fire chief also provided the name and number of a sales representative, from whom Amarillo gets some of their equipment and who has agreed to come to Hedley to do a demonstration of the Jaws of Life on an old car.

“The Jaws of Life are mostly just used to get people out that are trapped in their vehicles due to a car wreck,” Shaw said.

“We haven’t had to use it very often, but if we ever get into a situation and we do need it, we’re going to need it bad.”

In order to raise enough money to obtain the life-saving mechanism, an area-wide potluck invitational for the Hedley Volunteer Fire Department and the Ladies Auxiliary is to be held May 1 at 6:00 in the Hedley Baptist Church Fellowship Hall.

Four pit hams have been donated – two from Lowe’s Family Center in Clarendon and two from the Thriftway in Memphis.

The only food needed from the community is desserts, salads and vegetables. Anyone interested in this event is invited to join and help the Hedley Fire Department accomplish their goal.

If anyone wants to send a donation to the Fire Department, it can be mailed to the Hedley Fire Department, c/o Randy Shaw, PO Box 185, Hedley, Texas 79237.