Firefighters win Post Falls Battle of the Badges blood drive

POST FALLS — First responders in Kootenai County rallied Thursday to donate blood, addressing a critical shortage in local blood reserves.

The event, dubbed "Battle of the Badges," was organized by the firefighters union Local 2856 in coordination with Kootenai County Fire and Rescue and blood donation nonprofit Vitalant.

Taylor Carr, secretary of the firefighters union, explained the timing: "The start of school season is when they usually see a significant drop [in blood donations]."

Vitalant's blood reserves had fallen below a four-day supply, triggering an emergency need for all blood types, with a particular emphasis on power red and type O for trauma patients.

Participants, representing firefighters, police and medical staff, cast votes using colored tokens. By Friday, firefighters emerged victorious with 18 votes, followed by police with six and medical staff with three.

Elba Rodriguez, a dispatcher for Post Falls Police Department, said, "I haven't donated in a while, so I came down" when her department called for support.

The friendly competition drew inspiration from a similar event in Moses Lake, complete with a traveling trophy for the winning group.

Firefighters took home the trophy this time with 18 votes. Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, Coeur d'Alene Fire Department, Coeur d'Alene Police Department and Post Falls Police Department participated in the event.

Amber Short of Vitalant praised the local response as "an incredible effort." She added, "Our blood drive goal was to see 14 successful donations and collect 15 units of blood."

The event exceeded expectations, with 33 donations collected. According to Vitalant, these contributions have the potential to save up to 99 lives.

    Elba Rodriguez, a dispatcher for Post Falls Police Department has blood drawn by phlebotomist Brook Tarbert Thursday at Kootenai County Fire and Rescue.