New Equipment Aims to Protect Lives of Civilians and Firefighters

Whether its running into a burning building or reaching under an overturned car, first responders rarely think twice about putting their lives in danger for others.

But who is thinking about the safety of the first responders?

Thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Jessica Locke Firefighters Fund, not only will civilians' lives be saved, but members of the will now be safer on the scenes of serious accidents. 

The department recently received three sets of car stabilizers and three lifting bags. The new equipment was made possible by a $12,000 donation from the Firefighters Fund and a matching contribution from the city. 

"We wanted to get something that would make the residents safer and the firefighters safer," Locke told Patch last week. 

After Newton Fire Lt. Richard Geary was accidentally run over by a 24-year-old fire truck in 2007, Locke said she realized the safety of the department's staff was at risk with aging -- or in some cases, nonexistent -- equipment. Geary survived the accident, but Locke understood that safety needed to be made top priority.

"It brought a lot of attention (to the fact) that a lot of the equipment was past expiration," Locke said, "and the more I looked into it, the more I found."

Locke, a Watertown resident, traveled to New York to help firefighters shortly after September 11. She has an office in Newton where she helps people and firefighters by using Alexander Technique to reduce stress and tension from the body, and she used it to help firefighters impacted by 9/11.

Both in New York and in Newton, Locke realized some of the tough situations firefighters faced with their living quarters and aging equipment.

"I was really shocked at working conditions these guys were in," Locke said. "I didn't know where to start."

Once Locke decided she wanted to do something to help the Newton Fire Department, she began visiting and calling local businesses for gift card and product donations. Eventually, the Firefighters Fund held an auction last March where it raised $12,000. Locke then went to Newton Firefighters Association President Tom Lopez and asked him what the department needed.

"When [Locke] set out to do this, her focus was to get some much-needed equipment that the city has not been able to upgrade or purchase," Lopez said. "She wanted something that would also emphasize or enhance firefighter safety while on the job."

But with five fatalities involving alternate forms of transportation in the summer of 2010, the department considered options carefully, eventually deciding on the car stabilizers and air bags.

Lopez explained that the stabilizers help hold up and secure a car that may be overturned or on its side, which allows safer extraction of a passenger or pedestrian who is pinned.

The airbags help in a similar manner, as they are placed under overturned vehicles and inflated to allow responders to extricate a passenger or treat injuries of someone who is pinned. They can also be used during situations where buildings collapse, Lopez said.

Initially, the department was able to just purchase three sets of stabilizers and one set of air bags. However, Lopez said the department was concerned about keeping resources equal across the entire city, and approached Mayor Setti Warren with a request for two more air bag sets.

"Without the blink of an eye he got the money and two more air bags," Lopez said.

The city contribution for the two air bags totaled just over $12,000, Lopez said, essentially a matching grant to Locke's. Now, all three ladder companies in the city carry both a set of stabilizers and an lift bag, Lopez said.

Lopez said the companies are currently training on the new equipment and will finish up by May 12, at which point the tools will go into service.

"It's a small amount of money, but it can have a huge impact," Lopez said. "[Locke] has really had an impact on the department and the quality of life for citizens in the city."

As for now, Locke said the Firefighters Fund will work on new and better ways to raise even more money. 

"They deserve it; they’re putting their lives on the line for us and they need to have equipment they can rely on," Locke said. "It’s what I live for, I love knowing that they are safe."