Over the last decade, we have all learned some wrenching lessons about what can happen when fire, natural disaster or terror take hold of a building. But in each of those cases, mixed in with the tragedy, are the stories of triumph and rescue. A common thread that runs through many of these tales of rescue is thermal imaging equipment.
California Professional Firefighters is committed to bringing this life-saving equipment to every local fire department. To achieve this goal, CPF and its California Fire Foundation have launched an unprecedented fund-raising drive.
WHY THERMAL IMAGERS?
Thermal imagers can be used by firefighters to peer through dense smoky rooms and find victims. They can sense heat on the other side of a wall, denoting possible fire danger. They can “see” into crevices of fallen structures. Simply put, thermal imagers save lives.
AB 70
Governor Davis recently signed into law AB 70 (Rod Wright, D-Los Angeles). This CPF co-sponsored urgency measure allows the director of the state Office of Emergency Services (OES) to purchase thermal imaging equipment for distribution to and use by firefighters throughout California. It also creates an advisory committee to develop specifications relative to facilitating the purchase of thermal imaging equipment at competitive rates.
Because of the state’s economic downturn and anticipated budget shortages, the governor was forced to delete the General Fund appropriation contained in AB 70, as he did with a number of other fiscal impact bills this year. The money would have been allocated to OES, to assist them in acquiring thermal imagers on behalf of local fire agencies statewide.
RAISING THE MONEY
Because of our belief in the life-saving potential of this equipment, California Professional Firefighters (CPF) has made the California Fire Foundation available as a vehicle for receiving donations in an effort to fund the purchase of thermal imagers. Once collected, the foundation dollars will be bundled and forwarded for the purpose of buying thermal imagers for use by California firefighters. Every dollar of these tax-deductible contributions will be used to help purchase thermal imagers for California firefighters at competitive rates.
In order to maximize the effectiveness of this endeavor, we are in the process of creating an honorary fundraising committee, which will be comprised of organizations, companies and individuals interested in preserving public safety in this regard. Honorary committee members will be added to the list of supporters to aid in future fundraising purposes. You too can help in this effort by reaching out to your respective community leaders and urging them to sign on to the fundraising committee as honorary members.
HOW TO CONTRIBUTE
Correspondence to the California Fire Foundation may addressed as follows:
California Fire Foundation
c/o California Professional Firefighters
Attn: Thermal Imaging
1780 Creekside Oaks, Suite 200
Sacramento, CA 95833
Tax ID # 68-0118991
*The California Fire Foundation is a charitable, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. All contributions are tax deductible
Any questions regarding thermal imaging donations and the AB 70 honorary fundraising committee may be directed to our Legislative Analyst, Amy Benton, at (916) 921-9111 or abenton@cpf.org.