Arnold, CA…The Ebbetts Pass Fire District (host agency) was awarded a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) of $100,000 for the purchase of Extrication Equipment to assist crash victims and help with emergency response. The grant funded Extrication Equipment can aid in extricating victims from a severely damaged vehicle, reducing the time it takes to transport victims to receive critical care. In 2017, the Ebbetts Pass Fire District, Murphys Fire Protection District, Altaville-Melones Fire District and Copperopolis Fire Protection District responded to 219 crashes to aid victims injured in which 46 of those required extrication.

“Ebbetts Pass Fire District, Murphys Fire Protection District, Altaville-Melones Fire District and Copperopolis Fire Protection District rely on this type of safety equipment to help save the lives of critically injured crash victims trapped in a vehicle,” said Chief Mike Johnson. “The difference between life and death can be a matter of minutes, which is why it is critical to be able to reach victims and provide treatment as quickly as possible.”

Delays in extrication can negatively impact the patient’s critical “golden hour” of trauma survivability. The “golden hour” for Emergency Medical Services is the core principle of rapid intervention in trauma cases: 1) get to the patient quickly, 2) treat what can be treated on scene, and 3) quickly get the patient to the right hospital. Anything that can be done to compress each of these time periods aids in patient survival/recovery.

The grant will assist in efforts to reduce the number of persons killed in traffic collisions. Traffic deaths from all causes increased nearly 7% from 2015 to 2016 in California. Safer roads and cars, stepped up enforcement and awareness, along with faster and more effective extrication equipment for emergency responders will help in sending that trend downward.
                                                           
Altaville-Melones Fire District and Murphys Fire Protection District will each receive a complete set of new Vehicle Extrication Equipment. Additionally, the remainder of the grant funds will be used to purchase new Stabilization Equipment and Air Bag Systems for Ebbetts Pass Fire District and Copperopolis Fire Protection District

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.