Russellville VFD receives donation of oral rehydration solution

RUSSELLVILLE — The Russellville Volunteer Fire Department recently received a donation of oral rehydration solution (ORS) to provide dehydration relief to its responders during extreme summer heat, wildfire season and other strenuous situations.

The donation was made through a program through the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), a nonprofit association which represents volunteer fire, medical and rescue services, and DripDrop, a leading electrolyte powder company.

Firefighters face an increased risk of dehydration and heat-related injuries because of heat, physical effort and heavy gear. Replenishing lost fluids and electrolytes is mission-critical for them to prevent heat-related illnesses.

Through the donation, the department received an 80-count of multi-flavor packages of DripDrop ORS, equating to 320 servings to help keep the firefighters performing at their best.

“Firefighters lose a tremendous amount of fluid during high-intensity responses. Dehydration can pose significant health and safety risks to our responders, including decreased performance, weakness and muscle fatigue, dizziness, confusion and even heart attack or stroke,” said Russellville Fire Chief Mark Rossok. “Thanks to this donation of DripDrop ORS, our firefighters will have the dehydration relief they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.”

This is the third year that DripDrop and the NVFC have partnered to provide ORS donations to fire personnel across the country. Since the program began, 1.2 million servings have been donated to volunteer fire departments.