The City of Marysville Fire Department will be better equipped to respond to water-related emergencies with the help of funding from Yuba Water Agency.
As part of the Bill Shaw Rescue Equipment and Training Grant Program, Yuba Water today approved a grant, worth up to $10,000, to help the department purchase new swift-water rescue equipment. Much of the current equipment is near the end of its service life and is in need of replacement.
“The Marysville Fire Department provides crucial rescue and emergency services for Yuba County residents and people recreating along the Yuba River,” said Yuba Water Agency Director Mike Leahy. “This new equipment will ensure that they are properly equipped to respond to dangerous situations.”
The funding from Yuba Water Agency allows the department to purchase new ropes, soft and hard rigging gear, and rescuer and patient harnesses.
Like all Bill Shaw Grants, the agency is able to make these funds available because the first-responders may be called upon to provide emergency support to Yuba Water Agency’s facilities and staff, or to people recreating at its lakes or on the Yuba River.
Yuba Water Agency’s Bill Shaw Rescue Equipment and Training Grant Program, which was created in 2018, is designed for first-responder agencies in Yuba County and will cover the one-time costs of up to $10,000 per applicant annually, associated with the purchase of rescue equipment and specialized personnel training. Since its inception, the program has supported 14 agencies with $168,500 in grants.