| Orange County and Laguna beach firefighters will benefit from the new grant for equipment |
New equipment will help firefighters better deal with situations that are already difficult and dangerous.
In an effort to better serve the citizens of Orange County, the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) and the Laguna Beach Fire Department (LBFD) have received a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).
Traffic collisions are responsible for many injuries and fatalities in Orange County. Traffic collisions account for roughly nine percent of annual call volumes. The $156,257 grant will be used to purchase newly updated patient extrication equipment for use by both fire agencies. This equipment is used to extricate or remove patients trapped in their vehicles following a traffic collision.
"This new equipment will help our firefighters better deal with situations that are already difficult and dangerous at best," says OCFA Battalion Chief Cliff Bramlette. "We are very thankful to the OTS for providing our firefighters with state of the art equipment to help them better do their jobs of helping those in need." Both Laguna Beach Fire Department and the OCFA will be receiving a new compliment of equipment.
"Time is critical and these tools will give rescuers the ability to help crash victims more rapidly," said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. "This equipment can be the difference between life and death in the Laguna Beach and Orange County."