1 month ago
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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - In a determination to heighten archetypal responder safety, the City of Fresno has outfitted each Fresno Fire Department unit with bulletproof vests and helmets.
City officials accidental the caller protective cogwheel marks a important displacement successful however occurrence crews hole for dangerous, high-risk calls. It’s portion of a increasing nationalist inclination to equip firefighters with the aforesaid level of ballistic extortion agelong reserved for instrumentality enforcement.
“These vests are designed to beryllium lightweight, durable,” Fresno Fire Chief Billy Alcorn said. “They’ll beryllium deployed successful immoderate concern wherever our crews could look information — from progressive shooters to civilian unrest.”
The announcement was made connected Wednesday astatine Fresno Fire Station 3, wherever Alcorn stood alongside Mayor Jerry Dyer, Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto and Fresno City Council President Mike Karbassi.
Officials called the inaugural a unified measurement guardant for nationalist safety.
“We’ve made an concern successful nationalist safety,” Alcorn said. “We’re equipping each apparatus with ballistic vests and helmets to respond to progressive shooters and hostile incidents.”
Karbassi emphasized the value of giving crews bid of caput erstwhile responding to volatile situations.
“Providing ballistic extortion helps archetypal responders absorption connected redeeming lives — and gives bid of caput to themselves and their families,” Karbassi said.
Casto echoed that sentiment.
“Quick effect from Fresno firefighters is critical,” she said. “But they request the protective cogwheel to bash that safely.”
Dyer called the rollout of the caller cogwheel much than conscionable argumentation — helium described it arsenic a motivation obligation.
“Public information isn’t conscionable a priority, it is simply a promise,” Dyer said. “A committedness to our citizens and to the men and women who deterioration uniforms, whether that beryllium a constabulary serviceman oregon a firefighter.”
The caller vests and helmets are designed for accelerated deployment and volition beryllium disposable to each squad crossed the metropolis — from frontline firefighters to battalion chiefs.
“There was a fearfulness that, hey, you’re asking america to respond to unsafe calls — but we don’t person the close gear,” Alcorn said. “This closes that loop.”
Fresno presently operates 21 occurrence stations and employs 375 sworn firefighting positions. City officials confirmed the cogwheel was funded done the city’s wide fund.
City leaders accidental their determination was influenced, successful part, by a tragic lawsuit successful June, erstwhile 2 firefighters were killed and different injured successful an ambush successful Idaho. That incident, Karbassi said, raised superior concerns astir firefighter information successful Fresno and prompted swift action.
“This cogwheel could prevention lives,” helium said.
