Ongoing Dedication to Supporting First Responders

Since the company was formed, Merkle Standard has been dedicated to supporting local first responders in Pend Oreille County. In total the company has given more than $200,000 to support first responders, including:

In 2022 Merkle Standard, in collaboration with Bitmain, donated more than $70,000 toward the purchase of needed lifesaving response equipment in Pend Oreille County Fire District 2.This donation allowed for the purchase of a new response truck and modern vehicle extrication equipment. More recently as District 2 expanded their EMS services into southern Pend Oreille County they saw a need for a station closer to the call area, and Merkle Standard stepped up to host the district. The district now has a small station, with two dorm rooms and a common area, at the Merkle Standard site.

In 2022, Merkle Standard donated to the Pend Orielle County sheriff's department and search and rescue teams. This assistance allowed the sheriff's department to equip all department vehicles with automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), a need that had been identified years early but had gone unfunded until Merkle Standard stepped up. Then in 2023, Merkle Standard donated to the Search and Rescue team to help purchase newer rescue equipment and assist in putting on their annual fundraising breakfast.

In 2024, the company partnered again with Pend Oreille Fire District 4 committing $65,000 for the purchase of brand new EKG & Defibrillator equipment for medical response calls. This was not the first support Merkle Standard had given District 4, in 2022the company had sponsored volunteer recruitment advertisements in the local newspapers, hoping to help grow the district’s human resources.

On three occasions, Merkle Standard helped Pend Oreille Fire District 2, setting up Starlink internet at the firehouse, purchasing internet base reliable phones at their rural location, and purchasing a storage container needed to protect important equipment from the outdoor weather.

Beyond financial donations, the company has also hosted training sessions for regional law enforcement and donates employee time to chair the countywide Emergency Planning Committee. This list of contributions share only some of the many actions Merkle Standard has done to support our first responders, a cause the company feels passionate about supporting.

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