It’s hard to save lives without the best equipment available, and Fremont Bank Foundation’s recent $40,000 grant to the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) helped it acquire three, new auto extrication tools. The equipment will aid EBRPD’s Fire Department when fire personnel respond to life-threatening emergencies along backroads in Alameda and Contra Costa counties’ parks.
“These tools will help save lives and make the EBRPD's job much easier when responding to car accidents,” said Fire Captain Kent Simpson. “The extrication equipment is battery-operated so that responders can use the apparatuses at any distance from the roadway. We’re very grateful to Fremont Bank Foundation for helping us purchase much-needed equipment that will be used for years to come.”
In 2019, the fire and police departments’ dispatch center logged more than 21,000 calls. The fire department responded on its own to nearly 360 of those calls. That number included 136 car accidents, raising concerns about the parks’ typically quiet backroads. Now, thanks to the Foundation’s donation, the heavy-duty electric tools will be operated by three fire stations in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills, Castro Valley, and Livermore.
“Fremont Bank Foundation’s contributions to nonprofits and other organization often have a lasting impact on our communities,” said Brian Hughes, Foundation president and executive director. “Now, EBRPD can continue doing the vital work it’s meant to do.”
