By Adam Townsend
The Orange County Register
FULLERTON, Calif. — Two insurance companies have partnered to give Fullerton firefighters 43 wildfire shelters — the high-tech fabric cover that serves as a last line of defense when firefighters don’t have time to flee a blaze.
The shelters saved three Orange County firefighters during the October 2007 Santiago fire — for 15 minutes the men lay face down with their feet toward the more than 200-degree fire, the first time the shelters were used in Orange County.
Wood Gutmann & Bogart Insurance Brokers and Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. partnered to present the Fullerton Fire Department with $12,196 to fund the purchase of 43 new-generation fire shelters, according to a release from the companies.
The new shelters are built with the latest technology and consist of multiple layers of aluminized fabric to protect firefighters against high heat for extended periods of time, according to the release.
“The cost of wildland fire shelters, used to protect firefighters in life threatening events, add great stress to an already shrinking operating budget,” said Fire Chief Wolfgang Knabe in a statement. “We are grateful for this donation, so that we may remain committed to providing the highest quality of service to our community, while keeping our firefighters safe.”
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