Logo courtesy of the Vacaville Fire Department

VACAVILLE, CA (MPG) - The Vacaville Fire Department has been awarded a $60,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to support its Regional Crash Response and Extrication Improvement Program. The funding will help fire agencies across the region respond to serious traffic collisions and support lifesaving measures to extricate individuals trapped in vehicles. The grant period runs through September 2027.

“When someone is trapped after a vehicle accident, firefighters need the right tools and training to extricate quickly and safely,” said Fire Chief Frank Drayton. “This grant will strengthen our response and help us provide care when every minute matters.”

This grant will fund a fully equipped, battery-powered extrication system and training for department personnel on its proper use, handling and deployment. It will also support community education on seat belt use, distracted driving, and other traffic safety topics.

As part of the program, the department’s goal is to use best practice strategies to reduce the time it takes specialized extrication resources to reach crash scenes and extricate victims trapped in vehicles, improving survival outcomes for those involved in serious collisions.

Funding for this program was provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).