FY 2011/2012 Motorist Aid
and Safety Grants

The SAFE Board of Directors recognizes the outstanding work done by our public safety agencies to protect and serve motorists, and help keep traffic flowing. Within our eighteen cities, these services are provided primarily by police and fire departments. Outside our cities, law enforcement responsibilities fall under the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, while fire and rescue services are provided primarily by smaller volunteer fire departments with very limited budgets. The California Highway Patrol services our freeways and state routes in cooperation with these local agencies.

When you get into a vehicle accident on a freeway, state route or County Road, or find yourself dangerously near a fire, one or more of these agencies will likely be the First Responder to your location. And when they do respond, you want them to have the best equipment and training possible. Unfortunately, these agencies, in particular the rural fire agencies, are continually underfunded. The SAFE Board of Directors has therefore established a Motorist Aid Grant program through which up to $400,000 is available every other Fiscal Year to fund grants to these agencies for equipment, training and services related to motorist aid. Through 2010, the San Diego SAFE has funded more than $2 million in Motorist Aid Grants, with another $400,000 approved for grants to be implemented during FY 2011/2012. A brief summary of each FY 2011/2012 grants is shown below with a representative picture of the equipment or service each agency will obtain.

Alpine Fire Protection District (serves the community of Alpine) - $16,214.44

Funds used to:

- Upgrade existing rescue equipment

- Replace out of compliance gear in order to bring the District into compliance with national standards

- Purchase piercing nozzles for two fire engines which allows crews to quickly and efficiently extinguish vehicle fires in the engine compartment

- Purchase two circular cutoff saws to increase precision cutting during vehicle rescues and heighten safety during responses

- Train safety personnel on proper use, care and maintenance and the firefighting tactics to be employed by all new equipment

Boulevard Fire & Rescue Department (serves the community of Boulevard in Southeastern San Diego County - $15,580.00

Funds used to:

- Purchase a complete set of low angle rope rescue gear to safely reach vehicle and passengers in an accident where the median is below grade and boulder strewn along Interstate 8, Highway 94 and Old Highway 80

- Purchase one portable extrication device to rescue the victim and take them back up to the highway for transport where the median is below grade and boulder strewn along Interstate 8, Highway 94 and Old Highway 80

Deer Springs Fire Protection District (serves the unincorporated areas north of Escondido, as well as rural areas of Escondido, San Marcos and Fallbrook) - $26,223.00

Funds used to:

- Purchase of new and complete set of vehicle extrication tools to assist in the removal and un-entanglement of victims in vehicle accidents; replaces 20 year-old unreliable set that has failed to work resulting in delay of adequate emergency medical care

Lemon Grove Fire Department (serves the community of Lemon Grove) - $11,588.00

Funds used to:

- Purchase five sets of emergency protective clothing used by firefighters during emergency accidents on local freeways to comply with National Fire Protection Association standards

- Maintenance for eighteen sets of emergency protective clothing used by firefighters during emergency accidents on local freeways to comply with National Fire Protection Association standards

Julian Cuyamaca Fire Protection District (serves the communities of Julian and Cuyamaca) – $10,000.00

Funds used to:

- Provide a portion of needed funds to purchase two complete sets of vehicle stabilization equipment to assist in rescues where medical personnel initially cannot assist injured or trapped victims because the vehicle is lying in an unstable position

Lakeside Fire Protection District (serves community of Lakeside and assists with service to a majority of East County San Diego) - $40,043.93

Funds used to:

- Purchase equipment to fully retrofit existing vehicle extrication tools to increase the standard of the existing equipment

- Upgrade existing tools to work with the newer hydraulic systems, which have higher pressure ratings, in order to make the current tools quicker and stronger

- Purchase of hydraulic cutter specifically designed for cutting the new high tensile strength Boron enforced steels that newer vehicles are made of

- Purchase of a new portable pump system which will assist with vehicle extrications in areas not accessible by their current rescue unit (i.e. – accident into a canyon like those found on the side of Highway 67)

National City Fire Department (serves community of National City) - $14,279.00

Funds used to:

- Purchase a complete set of vehicle extrication equipment to assist in the removal and un-entanglement of victims in vehicle accidents

- Purchase of four Rescue Randy Training Manikins to be used to train firefighters in vehicle extrication rescue techniques; manikins can be safely used in training situations where the rescue scenario is too hazardous or uncomfortable for human volunteers

North County Fire Protection District (serves the communities of Fallbrook, Bonsall and Rainbow) - $18,125.36

Funds used to:

- Purchase hydraulic powered rescue equipment designed for cutting the new high tensile strength Boron enforced steels that newer vehicles are made of

- Purchase a complete set of vehicle stabilization equipment to assist in rescues where medical personnel initially cannot assist injured or trapped victims because the vehicle is lying in an unstable position

Pine Valley Fire & Rescue (serves communities of Pine Valley, Guatay, Corte Madera and parts of Buckman Springs) - $10,000.00

Funds used to:

- Provide a portion of needed funds to purchase lightweight vehicle rescue extrication equipment to assist in the removal and un-entanglement of victims in vehicle accidents

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (serves community of San Diego) - $13,150.00

Funds used to:

- Purchase a set of Paratech high lift medium pressure rescue cushions unit to assist in lifting or stabilizing heavy vehicles in order to locate and rescue trapped victims or to clear the accident from the roadway

- Purchase a Paratech 10-ton hydraulic jack to assist in lifting or stabilizing heavy vehicles in order to locate and rescue trapped victims or to clear the accident from the roadway

San Diego Rural Fire Protection District (serves communities of Deerhorn Valley, Dehesa, Dulzura, Descanso, Harbison Canyon, Jamul, Jacumba, Lake Morena, Otay Mesa, Poterero and Tecate) - $38,306.26

Funds used to:

- Provide a portion of needed funds to purchase a Command four wheel drive emergency response vehicle to provide medical attention to people involved in vehicle accidents during the winter season when there has been snow or heavy rain storms; vehicle can be used to assist with the closure of freeways and to gain access to hard to reach trails that are located around the freeways of East County San Diego

San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District (serves communities of Bostonia, Casa de Oro, Crest, Grossmont/Mt. Helix, La Presa, Rancho San Diego, Spring Valley and unincorporated areas of El Cajon and La Mesa) - $40,000.00

Funds used to:

- Provide a portion of needed funds to purchase an incident command/mutual aid response vehicle, which is used to oversee day-to-day emergency operations and to respond to all major incidents on the highway system

- Provide a portion of needed funds to install required Code 3 equipment per California Highway Patrol Specifications

Santee Fire Department (serves community of Santee) - $26,743.19

Funds used to:

- Provide a portion of needed funds to purchase six new Motorola XTS 5000 digital portable radios to replace 12-year old radios that are unable to be repaired due to the unavailability of parts

- Provide a portion of needed funds to purchase one radio charger to be installed in rescue vehicle

Shelter Valley Volunteer Fire Department (serves Shelter Valley and surrounding rural communities) - $20,564.57

Funds used to:

- Purchase five handheld GPS units to more efficiently locate and determine the fastest route to an emergency and to provide accurate latitude and longitude coordinates to emergency vehicles and helicopters responding to the incident

- Purchase one mobile generator and scene lighting unit to provide light at the scene of a vehicle accident

- Purchase one complete air bag system to lift a vehicle off the ground to allow for rescue operations to be performed in a quicker and safer manner than current tools allow

- Purchase one large synthetic cribbing kit to stabilize motor vehicles when responding to an accident in order to prevent the vehicle from being jarred or moved during the extrication of victims

- Fund the attendance at a training class for up to 30 students to provide training on the new tools acquired to existing firefighters

Viejas Fire Department (serves Viejas Reservation and surrounding rural communities) - $21,299.00

Funds used to:

- Purchase hydraulic powered rescue equipment designed for cutting the new high tensile strength Boron enforced steels that newer vehicles are made of

Vista Fire Department (serves community of Vista and surrounding rural areas) - $38,610.00

Funds used to:

- Purchase hydraulic powered rescue equipment for small, medium and large sized vehicles designed for cutting the new high tensile strength Boron enforced steels that newer vehicles are made of