The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation granted thousands to the City of Walla Walla Fire Department for lifesaving extrication tools.
WALLA WALLA, Wash. — A gift from Firehouse to Firemen and women. The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation granted more than $27,000 to the City of Walla Walla Fire Department for lifesaving extrication tools. This equipment will make the extrication process up to twice as fast as it used to be.
“These are actually the most powerful tools that they currently make,” said Wade Hicks with the Walla Walla Fire Department.
“We purchased a new E-Hydraulic spreader and cutter for extrication equipment,” said Deputy Fire Chief Eric Wood.
Firehouse Subs established in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, according to Meghan Vargas, Public Safety Foundation Director of Development. She said no fire department has all the gear they need to save lives. Since inception, Vargas said nearly one million dollars have been granted across Washington State.
These are two pieces of equipment that are going to make a world of difference for the department.
“These tools are significantly faster than our current generation tools that are about 11 years old,” Hicks said.
The tools are the newest battery-powered devices, designed to push, pull and pry at cars when firefighters need to get inside.
“The big difference is being all electric, so instead of carrying a gas powered plant generator around on our ambulances and being attached with hoses,” explained Wood. “This is all now just one unit operated with a battery pack, and it just has a greater cutting force, spreading force and operates quite a bit quicker.”
Walla Walla Fire Department demonstrates its new equipment
The department tested out this equipment for representatives from Firehouse Subs, who made this grant possible. They showed them just how effective the process can be.
“I would say with this new equipment, we’re at least two times as fast as we used to be,” said Wood.
Firehouse Subs and its Public Safety Foundation are long-time partners with first responders of all kinds.
“Anything that they’ve needed, we’re happy to try and supply for them. So it’s been a great give and take relationship with each other,” said Firehouse Subs District Manager Ryan Husser.
This equipment is capable of taking apart a whole car, with just one set of batteries.
The firefighters tested it out on a Honda Accord plucked from a Walla Walla wrecking yard. The ‘Jaws of Life’ took each door off its hinges, the roof off and shattered a couple windows.
It all goes back to the Firehouse Subs customers who raised the money to make this happen and give back to their first responders.
These devices are now available for the Walla Walla Fire Department to use to save lives. The department is also looking to get another pair of electric extrication tools in the near future. The old pairs are put in reserve apparatuses.
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