Westland Fire Department has the power to save

See how one crew stays strong through 16,000 calls a year 

For the firefighters and EMS crews at Westland Fire Department, the job never slows down. In 2023 alone, they responded to 16,000 calls—a staggering workload for a department with just 91 personnel. With only four stations to cover a bustling community just outside of Detroit, Michigan, every call matters. This is not your average 9-5. Every lift, every patient transport, every moment of strain adds up.

The weight of the job isn’t just measured in hours—it’s measured in physical and mental endurance. “We’re pretty busy,” one firefighter puts it. “We do that with only 91 personnel, so that kind of plays into a physical and mental aspect.” The 24-hour shifts demand more than just resilience. They require smart tools and technology that can keep crews in the field longer, without wearing them down.

Reducing the load—without reducing the response

Firefighters and EMS professionals dedicate their lives to helping others, but the job takes a toll. One Westland firefighter recalls a moment that changed how he thinks about the work:

“In my career, we were actually carrying a patient up some stairs, and I slipped. I pinched a nerve in my back. Sciatic pain shot down my leg. And that’s the stress of lifting people all day long. Every time I do a lift now, that’s in the back of my mind.”

Injuries like these aren’t rare.¹ They’re a reality of emergency response, where every second counts and every lift matters. That’s why Westland turned to powered solutions to help reduce strain on the low back² and keep crews ready for the next call.

Powered solutions built with first responders in mind

At Stryker, we work closely with Fire and EMS professionals to understand the job—and the toll it can take. That connection drives how we design equipment: built for the realities of the field and the people doing the work.

The Power-PRO 2 is our powered ambulance cot that helps crews transport patients with the touch of a button. Paired with Power-LOAD, a powered cot fastener that supports both loading and unloading, these tools are part of a broader powered ecosystem designed for demanding shifts.

“From the beginning of my career to where we are now—it’s an incredible advancement in technology,” one Westland firefighter says. Responders describe trusting the mechanics to do the heavy lifting—so they can focus on what matters most.

“Powered products really show that we’re doing things more efficiently, a smarter way. And that back-end result is us being there when people call.”

A smart way to serve

It’s not every day a person needs to call for help, but when they do, that moment matters—not just for the patient, but for the responders who answer the call. At Westland, every tool, every decision, every advancement in technology is about one thing: keeping their crews strong enough to keep showing up.

Stryker’s ecosystem of powered tools help make that possible, allowing first responders to work smarter, not harder—so they can keep saving lives without sacrificing their own well-being.