No EpiPens for Malahide fire trucks

Malahide councillors on Thursday, April 9, rejected a request to equip volunteer firefighters with potentially lifesaving “EpiPens” that administer medication in case of a severe allergic reaction.

Lyons Line resident Elizabeth Van Hooren has started a campaign to seek such equipment for area firefighters, after her own son almost died from an allergy that had not previously been diagnosed. That meant her family had no EpiPens at their home.

Firefighters, she argued, were often the first on the scene for rural medical calls in Elgin County.

But Fire Chief Brent Smith said training to administer the drug would cost $12,500 a year and, because of potential side effects, might leave volunteer firefighters open to liability lawsuits.