T-L Photo/JENNIFER COMPSTON-STROUGH Displaying a new portable ventilator are representatives of Give Belmont County and the Belmont Volunteer Fire Department. Neil Ruble and Lova Ebbert, from left, are shown with Fire Chief Bob Mills and Lt. Kaye Hall.

BELMONT — Members of the Belmont Volunteer Fire Department have a new tool to help them save lives, courtesy of some local landowners.

The Belmont County Enrichment Fund – aka Give Belmont County, which is affiliated with the Community Foundation for The Ohio Valley – was created in 2013 by a group of local landowners who were benefiting from natural gas drilling leases with the former Rice Energy.

The county residents decided to form a grant-making foundation to give back to the community.

One of the most recent ways the group decided to give back was by granting about $6,000 to the Belmont VFD for the purchase of a portable ventilator.

The self-contained apparatus has been installed on a Belmont emergency squad and is ready for use. With its backup battery, the device can help an intubated patient breathe for several hours.

Fire Lt. Kaye Hall said volunteers have not had to use the device yet, but the need for it is clear.

“I have twice bagged a patient clear to Columbus,” Hall said of using a manual device to keep a patient breathing during transport. “It’s so hard to do that. But this does it for you.”

Hall said the portable ventilator provides a much more reliable way to support a patient. She noted that sometimes at an accident scene, a patient may need a ventilator right away. She said this portable device can be used immediately, even if a patient is trapped.

“It’s a valuable piece of equipment,” Hall said, noting that only one or two other departments in the county have one. “It’s just so expensive.”

She said Give Belmont County members were “gracious enough to see the need for it and gave us the money to get it.”

“It’s set up to go,” Hall said. “Hopefully we will save somebody’s life with it.”

Lova Ebbert, a member of the Give Belmont County grant committee, said the group was happy to support the VFD and its lifesaving mission.

“Give Belmont County is thrilled to help others, especially those who work with the public in providing health care and emergency services,” Ebbert said. “This was an easy grant to approve because of what Belmont fire department does for our community.”

Ebbert said there are five committee members who rank the applications.

“It’s easy to give to groups who give so much to our community,” she continued. “You always hope you never need to call them, but you pray to God that when you need them, they’re there.”

Since making its first grant in late 2013, the organization has given more than $500,000 to nonprofits in the area. And the committee just approved almost $51,000 in additional grants to be awarded. She said those applicants will be notified, and organizers hope to have a reception and check presentation with donors and recipients present. That is currently scheduled for 10 a.m. Feb. 24 at The Market at Ebbert Farms; however, due to COVID concerns, the event is subject to change.