Santa Ynez Band Of Chumash Indians Donates $50,000 to SBFD
New Ladder Truck and Equipment for Santa Barbara City Fire Department
The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians donated $50,000 to equip Santa Barbara City Fire Department’s new ladder truck. The new truck equipment was unveiled Tuesday at Santa Barbara City Fire Station No. 1.
“Through the generous contribution of the Chumash, these new tools and equipment were purchased,” said Santa Barbara City Fire Chief Andrew DiMizio. “As a result, our new Truck 1 can soon be placed into service with all new equipment.”
The donation by the Chumash was critical in allowing the Santa Barbara City Fire Department to utilize two fully equipped ladder trucks for emergency response throughout the greater Santa Barbara area.
“Previously only one ladder truck at a time was kept in a ‘frontline’ status, this allows us to operate two complex fire or rescue situations simultaneously,” said Chief DiMizio.
The $50,000 grant was used to purchase 79 pieces of equipment, including rope rescue equipment, prying tools, harnesses, gas monitors, extinguishers and power saws.
“The tribe is happy to offer support to the Santa Barbara City Fire Department in any way it can,” said Vincent Armenta, Tribal Chairman for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. “We hope that this new equipment will not only make our communities safer but also make it safer for the rescue workers who risk their lives for us on a daily basis.”
The $50,000 grant request was approved in December. Over the last several months, the fire department purchased all the required tools and equipment to properly outfit the truck. The new vehicle is replacing a 1981 ladder truck that has served the city of Santa Barbara for 30 years.
The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation has donated more than $14 million to hundreds of groups, organizations, and schools in the community and across the nation as part of the Chumash’s long-standing tradition of giving. The Foundation is governed by the tribe’s Business Committee.
The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, located on the Santa Ynez Reservation in Santa Barbara County, owns and operates the Chumash Casino Resort as well as Hotel Corque and Root 246 in the nearby town of Solvang.
