A Red Cross technician inserts a needle to collect blood from Fire Capt. Rebecca Boutin Saturday at a “Guns & Hoses Blood Wars” donation challenge won for the first time by firefighters. Boutin said some of her previous attempts to donate blood have been declined due to low levels of iron so she adjusted her diet in ensure she would be able to donate at the event. (Photo by Carl E. Hartdegen)
WESTFIELD – Although the city’s police have heretofore dominated the firefighters in their series of ‘Guns & Hoses Blood Wars’ to benefit the Noble Hospital blood bank, in a new blood drive organized to benefit the American Red Cross the firefighters blew away the boys in blue, bringing in three times as much blood as the police department’s supporters.
Fire Chief Mary Regan said “It’s nice we were able to bleed a little more (than the police) so I’m pretty happy” in the collection effort but went on to say “Obviously, we’re going to continue with Noble.”
She said that the collection for the Red Cross allows for more participation from the community than the Noble effort because the infrastructure at St. John’s Lutheran Church, where the Red Cross usually collects blood, can handle more traffic that the Noble Hospital blood bank.
While the hospital can accommodate the police and firefighters, the facilities would be stretched if friends and family wanted to contribute as well, she said. At the church, all comers can be accommodated allowing for more community involvement. She pointed out that the firefighters’ total was bolstered by the donations of their supporters.
At the collection Saturday, Police Officer Kerry Paton complained, with tongue in cheek, that firefighters had stacked the deck against the police by scheduling the event on a Saturday when many police employees are not working. The fire department, in contrast, has much the same staffing level, seven days a week.
Police Chief John Camerota attributed his department’s lower turnout to insufficient outreach to the officers.
“We need to do more than send out an email” he said with a grin. “We need to actually strong-arm people.” He also said that police will continue to give blood, both directly for the hospital and for the Red Cross, as well.
Regan said “We’re going to try to continue with the Red Cross once a year” in addition to the collection for the hospital and said “going forward we’ll do a little better with public relations” to increase contributions from civilians.
But, she said, the police will again be challenged.
