Rotary Grant Supports Medical Responses
SOUTH HAVEN – A contribution from the Rotary Club of South Haven and the Rotary International Foundation will allow South Haven Area Emergency Services (SHAES) to better serve the community during times of medical emergencies.
Pictured left to right: Rotary President Robert Metzen, SHAES Chief Brandon Hinz, Rotarian Tom Renner.
A donation of $3,000 from the South Haven club matched by the Rotary International Foundation has allowed SHAES to purchase three additional Automated External Defibrillators (AED) devices to be placed in the department’s grass rigs which often are the first unit dispatched from its outlying stations to a medical emergency.
“Our members are proud to continue to support SHAES and the community through our grants program,” said Rotary President Robert Metzen.
Other recent Rotary grants have enabled SHAES to upgrade its extrication (Jaws of Life) equipment and supported the beach safety program of the City of South Haven through the purchase of AEDs and year-round life rings along the riverfront. Rotary is also an annual sponsor of the SHAES Fire Safety program.
SHAES operates an Advanced Life Service (ALS) ambulance service. The SHAES service area encompasses an estimated 97 square miles. Most medical emergencies are answered by ambulances out of its Blue Star Station in the City of South Haven. The far corners of the SHAES service area are as far as eight miles away from the station.
The Blue Star Station is staffed 24/7. The stations in Geneva Township and Casco Township are staffed less frequent. Additional career members and a commitment from paid-on-call staff have allowed the department to increase staffing frequencies at the Geneva and Casco stations. This has allowed for a dispatch by trained staff from those stations who can begin treatment until the ambulance arrives.
“We take great pride in our response times to emergencies, especially medical calls,” said Chief Brandon Hinz. “Every second is critical, especially during cardiac response.”
The SHAES response times rate very favorable when compared to national averages. The SHAES average response times to medical emergencies in 2025 were: Casco Township – 7:02, Geneva Township – 6:52, City of South Haven – 4:07, South Haven Township – 5:09.
In recent months the department acquired fully equipped new grass rigs (trucks) so each station has one. In addition, the AEDs will serve the department when needed if there is medical emergency among its staff during a response such as a grass fire. According to national statistics, the leading cause of on-duty deaths among first responders is cardiac arrest. Field fires are among the most strenuous fire-fighting tasks.