By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• Albany Fire Department used more than $68,000 in state grant funds to buy inflatable lifting chairs and train care facility staff to assist with non-injury falls.
• The grant came from the Oregon Department of Human Services as part of broader funding to improve emergency services for long-term care residents.
• Fire officials said lift-assist calls account for about 30% of annual responses, with nearly 900 in 2024.
• After training, local care facilities have used the equipment at least seven times to assist residents.
ALBANY, OR — The Albany Fire Department received state grant funding to equip local care facilities with inflatable lift-assist chairs and provide training to reduce non-emergency calls for help with falls by residents.
Officials said more than $68,000 from the Oregon Department of Human Services was used to purchase 13 lift devices and support training last month for staff at multiple care facilities, including Lydia’s House at Mennonite Village and Bonaventure.
Fire Department EMS Chief Ray Wooldridge said lift assists represented about 30% of the department’s call volume in 2024, totaling nearly 900 calls, and the initiative is intended to free first responders for emergencies.
Community paramedic Hilary Kosmicki said the training, completed in mid-December, has already led to at least seven successful uses of the new equipment by facility staff.
The grant is part of a broader set of awards through the state’s Quality Care Fund aimed at improving services for older adults in long-term care settings, with funding allocated through Dec. 2026.