Walleyes Unlimited fund rescue gear

The season of giving is coming up quickly, and the Fresno Chapter of Walleyes Unlimited is already in the spirit.

At Monday night's Havre City Council meeting, the council approved a gift of $2,500 from Walleyes to the Havre Fire Department to buy some new ice rescue equipment.

"With tight budgets the way they are, it's difficult to purchase or even think about purchasing equipment that's not used day-to-day, " Fire Chief Dave Sheppard said. "Without that donation we wouldn't be making the purchase. "

The money will be spent on buying two new water-proof, insulated and bouyant suits and other equipment, like ropes that can be used to save someone who has fallen through ice into freezing dangerous water.

The suits will join the two suits the fire department already has, which were also purchased through a gift from Walleyes more than a decade ago.

Sheppard said that having the extra suits is not only great because it updates the already aging equipment.

"One of the reasons we wanted to buy additional suits is, now we don't have a good way to affect further rescue, " Sheppard said. "This way we can have two teams suited up and capable of entering frigid waters. "

Sheppard said the equipment is not used that frequently. He could not immediately recall the last time they used it.

But they do train annually with the equipment, so they can always be ready to save a life.

The Havre Fire Department and Sheppard are just about as thankful as that hypothetical near-frozen drowning victim.

"We're just very appreciative of Walleyes, " Sheppard said. "It's great to have partners in the community like them that see need and help. "