Calif. fire district to use $664,000 grant for new truck

The Contra Costa Times

MARTINEZ, Calif. — The Contra Costa Fire District will receive $664,480 in federal dollars for the purchase of a ladder truck.

The money is an Assistance to Firefighters grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The truck will replace a 30-year-old vehicle and allow firefighters and emergency rescue personnel to reach up to seven stories on offices and other buildings.

East Bay Reps. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, and George Miller, D-Martinez, praised the award.

"Contra Costa County residents want a fire department ready and able to handle the toughest situations, and with this federal grant, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District will be able to add a desperately needed ladder truck their team," Garamendi said.

The new truck, expected to go into service by January, also will carry specialized rescue equipment used to remove people trapped in heavily damaged vehicles; water and rope rescue gear and "advanced life support equipment for front-line emergency medical services responses," according the district.

The district serves a swath of Contra Costa communities including Antioch, Pitsburg, Bay Point, Martinez, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek and Lafayette.

Copyright 2011 Contra Costa Newspapers
All Rights Reserved