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| Mayor Recognizes Gas Station |
Galesburg's top elected official has given another of his appreciation awards to a local business that is helping handicapped motorists with something they may have trouble doing themselves.
Mayor Sal Garza gave the award at the recent City Council Meeting to Hy-Vee and its East Main Street gas station, for installing a "Fuel Call System" that will send a station employee out to a pump if the disabled driver needs help pumping gas.
Mitchell Swanson recommended the award be given, and says the system helps do something state law didn't really think of.
"There's already a law in place that says if there's two people on duty, one of them need to come out and pump our gas," Swanson said. "That's wonderful, except for the fact that we have no way of communicating with people inside the store that we are outside needing assistance. A lot of times they'll put up stickers and suggest that we do horn honking and flash our lights and things of this nature. Basically, that gets the attention of the wrong individuals."
East Main Hy Vee Manager Dave Rasmussen says the idea of increased help for the disabled started before "Fuel Call" was installed last year.
"About a year and a half ago, a store director from Iowa for Hy Vee fell out of a deer stand and became paralyzed," Rasmussen said. "At that time, it kind of brought a lot of attention to it from us, who haven't had thought about it before."
Hy Vee gas station manager Brad Hopping says installing "Fuel Call" beat the alternative.
"The system we had in place before just wasn't working," Hopping said. "The first time Mitchell called me to talk about the "FuelCall" system, I said 'we have something in place.' In Mitchell's situation, he can't reach a finger to press a button to notify us inside. So, this "FuelCall" system is a very large button.
Other Hy Vee stations are now also installing FuelCall systems according to its manufacturer.
Hopping says 10 to 15 people a week use the Fuel Call system at the Galesburg Hy Vee gas station.
For more information about "FuelCall," CLICK HERE.
(Mitchell Swanson speaks to the Galesburg City Council about why he recommended the Mayor's Appreciation Award for the Hy Vee Gas Station on East Main Street. WGIL News Story and Photo by Will Stevenson.) |
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| 06 12 10 by Newsroom |
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