ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WBFF) — The Annapolis Fire Department and Eastport Volunteer Fire Company held their first ever blood drive Sunday to help support the city’s whole blood program.
The blood drive was held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 26 at the Eastport Volunteer Fire Hall, located along Bay Ridge Avenue in Annapolis.
Battalion Chief R. McRae, with the Annapolis Fire Department, said the city’s whole blood program started this past May.
“Provide whole blood to our community through our paramedics who go out and respond to calls every day to increase the patient’s survival in case they have an injury or illness that they need blood right away,” McRae said.
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During Sunday’s event, McRae said the fire department received a call for a patient that required administration of whole blood, marking the sixth donation the department has given to date.
“One of our supervisors at this moment has just responded out to go to hopefully assess the patient to see if they have the need for whole blood,” he said.
Lee Downing, President of the Eastport Volunteer Fire Company, said it’s necessary for crews to have blood on hand in case of an emergency.
“It saves a life, and there’s no better feeling than saving a life,” Downing said.
“Blood doesn’t just go to an emergency situation, it goes to people with sickle cell anemia, it goes people with cancer,” Downing said. “And cancer’s touched my life. Not me specifically, but it took my dad, it took my grandma. So I know that without this blood, they wouldn’t have been able to have a longer life.”
Donors received a pair of sunglasses in a soft case while supplies lasted.
Annapolis Mayor Jared Littman stopped by to donate blood, according to EVFC.
McRae’s parting message was for people to “donate blood. It saves our community and you never know when you may or your family may need it.”
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