Kootenai County Fire and Rescue hosts Battle of the Badges blood drive
Phlebotomist Colbie Hayes prepares to obtain platelets from Zoie Cloutier at the Coeur d'Alene Vitalant facility. There's currently an increased need for blood because supplies often dip during the summer months.
CAROLYN BOSTICK/Press File
POST FALLS — First responders from Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls are competing today to see who can donate the most blood.
"We’ve done blood drives before at our training facility and done charity hockey games for Battle of the Badges, but we won't know how we did until it's over for this one," Taylor Carr, secretary of Local 2856, a firefighters union, said.
Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, Coeur d'Alene Fire Department, Coeur d'Alene Police Department and Post Falls Police Department are all participating.
Vitalant, a blood donation company, is calling for an increase in blood donations to help those currently battling life-threatening emergencies.
"We’re just trying to find ways to get folks to come out because those donations are really needed," Carr said.
The drive is being held from 11 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. at Kootenai Fire and Rescue's training facility at 5271 E. Seltice Way, Post Falls.
Sign up for a time slot to give blood here.
Blood donors will receive a T-shirt as part of the event.