We are happy to announce we’ve recently been awarded with a grant from the Department of Homeland Security Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. This program is designed to help first responders improve their capability to respond to fires and emergencies of all types. 

Upper Mountain will use the $34,205 award to purchase needed equipment for vehicle extrication* which will include: hydraulic rescue tools, airbags, and adapters for our existing rescue struts. Although our members have trained on these tools and techniques, to date Upper Mountain has had to rely on mutual aid companies to provide this equipment for motor vehicle accidents where extrication was required.

*Vehicle extrication is the process of removing a vehicle from around a person who has been involved in a motor vehicle accident, when conventional means of exit are impossible or inadvisable. A delicate approach is needed to minimize injury to the victim and rescuers during this process. This operation is typically accomplished by bracing for stabilization and using hydraulic tools to cut the damaged vehicle apart to expedite patient care.