[1]The Chehalis Fire Department’s new Jaws of Life are like these pictured.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The Chehalis Fire Department has received a set of Jaws of Life tools from a fire department in San Matteo County.
Fire Chief Ken Cardinale said he got a call a couple of weeks ago, offering the equipment. He picked them up in California and delivered them to his fire station on Thanksgiving.
Cardinale said the donation saved the city about $65,000.
Cardinale spent 29 years with the Palo Alto Fire Department before coming to work in Chehalis in May. He reached out to some of his counterparts in California after taking the new job, he said.
“I had sent out emails and said, we have limited budgets,” he said. “(And said) if you have any useable equipment, let me know.”
A new set of Jaws – the hydraulic tools to help extricate patients from wrecked vehicles – can run as much as $100,000, he said.
The Chehalis Fire Department has one set and now they have a backup set, Cardinale said.
Once they get their new fire engine in June, which they plan to station at the Chehalis Airport, they can keep a set on that truck, he said.