Having to move people in the midst of medical emergencies up or down stairs can be a difficult task that puts both patients and firefighters at risk.

But thanks to some new equipment purchased by the Addison Township Fire Department with grant money,  moving patients from an upper floor or basement just got a whole lot easier and safer.

Since August, the department has been utilizing two stair chairs made by Stryker, a Michigan-based company. There’s one aboard each of Addison’s ambulances.

Made of lightweight aluminum, stair chairs have special features to allow firefighters to maneuver patients on stairways with less chance of injury to either side.

“We use them routinely on probably the majority of our calls now,” said EMS Coordinator Rob Fitzpatrick. “(The firefighters) love it. The safer we can be, the better.”

The chairs were purchased with a $6,504 grant from the Four County Community Foundation (4CCF), a nonprofit organization that serves Almont, Armada, Capac, Dryden, Imlay City, Metamora, Oxford, Richmond and Romeo. Established in 1987, 4CCF has awarded $8 million in grants and scholarships over its 31-year history.

“We’re extremely grateful,” Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick, who’s been with the department since 2013, applied for the grant to help prevent Addison firefighters from sustaining injuries while lifting or carrying patients.

“People aren’t so light anymore,” he said. “It only takes one weird movement or one wrong twist and we can lose a guy for weeks (or) months.”

“For a (smaller) department like us, that really puts us at a disadvantage,” Fitzpatrick continued. “We really can’t afford to lose somebody to a back injury.”

Fortunately, none of the firefighters have experienced any serious on-the-job injuries.

“We’ve had some strains and sprains, but nothing that’s led to a (workers’ compensation) claim,” said Fire Chief Jerry Morawski.

But the department doesn’t want to keep relying on luck, so it got these stair chairs to help reduce the risk of injury.

Each chair weighs only 32.8 pounds, however, it can hold a person who’s up to 500 pounds. Each chair also features both wheels and a tread system, the latter of which allows users to move patients along stairs without having to lift them.

“Stryker brought us one they use as a demo. We really liked the way it worked,” said Fitzpatrick, who also serves as a paid-on-call firefighter/paramedic for the Oxford Fire Department.

The stair chair is much lighter, smaller and easier to turn and lift on stairs than the department’s power cots, each of which weighs about 160 pounds sans patient, according to Fitzpatrick.

“It’s a lot more user-friendly,” he said.

Since 2010, Addison’s fire department has now received approximately $425,000 in grants and donations from nonprofit organizations, government entities, private companies and community members.

The department is hoping to keep that total growing to reach the chief’s goal.

“When I started in 2010, I wanted to get $1 million (in) grant money in 10 years,” Morawski said.