Spencer Wasmuth working on a healthcare worker's vehicle. (Supplied photo/Duane LaFreniere)

By Keaton Brown

Under The Hood

Local business offering free oil changes to frontline healthcare workers and first responders

Apr 8, 2020 | 1:05 PM

A local business is doing what they can to help out frontline healthcare workers and first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bridges Chevrolet Buick GMC in North Battleford is offering free full synthetic oil and filter changes, vehicle inspection and fluid top ups.

Duane LaFreniere, owner and dealer operator at Bridges Chevrolet, said they are offering this free service to all frontline healthcare workers and first responders. He said they will take any make and model of vehicle, regardless of whether it was purchased through Bridges Chevrolet or not.

“We are offering this to any healthcare workers and first responders, which includes all support staff like paramedics and police,” he said. “Anyone working in the healthcare field or a first responder right now just have to book an appointment and get a free oil change.”

Frontline healthcare workers and first responders are an essential service in Saskatchewan. They have been and will continue to work long hours to help the province mitigate the damage done by COVID-19. LaFreniere said he understands these people have very busy lives right now so they are also offering a valet service with the oil change.

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“If they would like the valet service, what we would do is send two drivers out,” he said. “We make arrangements of where we can pick up the keys, like in a mailbox or sun visor. When the two drivers get there, they sanitize the vehicle for their own safety, then bring the vehicle back and we do the oil change. Once that is done we do the same thing, we return the vehicle to them when it is done and sanitize the vehicle again.”

Spencer Wasmuth working on a healthcare worker’s vehicle. (Supplied photo/Duane LaFreniere)

LaFreniere said Bridges Chevrolet had been considering a few different options for helping out during the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually landed on this oil change program.

“We were trying to think what we could do for the community. Instead of just making a donation to a service club or something like that we were trying to figure out how we could give back,” he said.

They posted their offer on their Facebook page on Monday and started fielding calls for oil changes almost immediately.

“We have had several, we had a few yesterday and more booked in for today. Actually we had one come in within an hour of me posting that video,” he said.

LaFreniere said they have been receiving an outpouring of positive feedback, both from people who have taken advantage of the free oil change and others who are looking forward to it.

“It makes doing something like this worth it,” he said. “This is kind of a feel good thing for us, it is a good message to send out to the community and it is a good message for our staff to able to offer something for free to someone. It is kind of nice.”

—

Keaton.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow