Jason Conklin's two-week trip to Maryland for a National Fire Academy class produced an unexpected donation to the Lindsey Volunteer Fire Department.
Conklin, the Lindsey department's deputy chief, met Fort Myers Beach District Fire Chief Ron Martin at an Executive Fire Officer class.
After a series of discussions, Martin offered to donate more than $45,000 in equipment from the Fort Myers Beach department to the village's department.
Conklin said most of the equipment — which includes three Zoll Medical Autopulse Resuscitation systems, two thermo-imaging cameras and two oximeters — was lightly used, with the Lindsey department responsible only for paying shipping costs for the items.
"If we would have had to purchase it brand new, it would have cost about $65,000," Conklin said of the donated equipment.
Fire Chief John Zimmerman thanked the Fort Myers Beach department for their donation. He said Lindsey had looked at buying Autopulse machines a couple of years, but held off because of the cost.