Fire authority's new life-saving equipment put to use immediately

New vehicle-extrication equipment purchased by the Sonoma Valley Fire & Rescue Authority was used within days of being put into service recently. New hydraulic spreaders, cutters, rams and power units used to free persons trapped after a vehicle crash were purchased as part of a $96,315 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.
“The Sonoma Valley Fire & Rescue Authority is committed to providing the highest level of rescue service possible,” said Interim Chief Steve Marler. “Your chance of surviving a traffic collision requires a quick, efficient and safe rescue operation. This equipment helps tremendously in making that possible.”
The new equipment replaces older, outdated tools on three first-response fire engines. The state-of-the-art equipment is lighter, easier to use, interchangeable and allows firefighters to use multiple tools simultaneously. Most importantly, this equipment will assure faster access to patients and decrease the delivery time of patients to definitive care facilities.
This equipment was used to free six trapped, critically injured victims of a motor vehicle crash just two days after the equipment was put into service. This resulted in all patients arriving at definitive care facilities in a timely manner.
“The first hour following a car crash is the most critical in terms of saving lives,” said California Office of Traffic Safety Director Christopher J. Murphy. “These tools will go a long way to helping Sonoma residents reach the care they need faster.”
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.