RANCHO SANTA FE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT RECEIVES CRITICAL NEW WILDLAND GEAR
GPS Units, Radio Vests Included in $5,000 Donation
RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif. (Nov. 19, 2007) – When Rancho Santa Fe firefighters battled the recent wildfires, hauling around their portable radios was never an easy task. Most crew members have no specific place to carry the devices, but thanks to a $5,000 donation, the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District will be able to purchase dozens of new radio vests.
The money comes from a joint grant between G.S. Levine Insurance Services and Fireman's Fund Insurance Company. The district will use the money to buy 40 radio vests to enable the firefighters to properly carry their portable radios during a wildfire.
Rancho Santa Fe will also receive seven new high-tech global positioning (GPS) units. The GPS computers will be carried by the firefighters to provide better location and mapping information to the incident commander, the line supervisors, and the overhead aircraft.
“These items are all critical to the overall safety and ability of our crews to effectively battle these types of fires,” said Fire Chief Nicholas Pavone. “In the tech world we live in today, the GPS units will provide invaluable information during the planning and strategizing of each fire.”
“Our local firefighters deserve to be working with the best equipment available,” said Gary Levine, founder and CEO of San Diego-based G.S. Levine Insurance Services. “The recent wildfires show how important it is that they be prepared and fully-equipped, and we hope this grant will make their jobs a little easier.”
The grant package is part of a nationwide program called Fireman's Fund Heritage® which is funded by Fireman's Fund Insurance Company. The program is designed to provide needed equipment, training and educational tools to local fire departments. Since 2004, Fireman's Fund has issued grants to hundreds of different departments across the country totaling more than $14 million. Independent insurance agencies that sell Fireman's Fund products are able to direct these grants to support fire stations in their communities. G.S. Levine Insurance Services was instrumental in directing this specific donation to Rancho Santa Fe.
For More Information about Fireman's Fund Insurance Company: www.firemansfund.com