Plant City Elks Lodge member and Plant City police officer, Vince Wise, informed the lodge that while the Plant City Police had 25 squad cars with defibrillators, the batteries were all dead. Due to the hiring of additional officers, batteries were not in the budget. At a lodge meeting, members decided to apply for the Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant to purchase the very expensive batteries. Each battery with a quantity discount was $230. With the matching state grant, the lodge was still $750 short but it was made up by members David Brewington and J.J. Calhoun. On Dec. 12 at the lodge’s annual luncheon for the police department, the batteries were presented to Chief Ed Duncan. After lunch, the squad cars were lined up and lodge members installed all the batteries.
Pictured with three uniformed Plant City police officers (names unknown) as they receive defibrillator batteries from Plant City Lodge are Ron Johns, Exalted Ruler; David Brewington, board member; Judy Wise, District Veterans Services Chairman; J.J. Calhoun, member; Sgt. Bass, Plant City PD; and Police Chief, Ed Duncan.