The County of Los Angeles Fire Department (LACoFD) is pleased to share the acquisition of grant funding made available through the 2024 Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) and the State Homeland Security (SHS) Grant Programs.
Through ongoing engagement and collaboration between the LACoFD Planning and Grants, and Lifeguard Divisions, $126,779 in UASI and $122,392 in SHS Grant Program funding was secured. With this funding, the Department will procure essential lifeguard equipment for the Marine Technical Search Team, that includes Aqua Eye Scanners and two Sonar Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard (E.M.I.L.Y.) robots. This equipment plays a vital role in enhancing lifeguard search and rescue capabilities.
The E.M.I.L.Y. robots are flotation devices designed to rescue swimmers in distress. To further enhance rescue efforts, the AquaEye handheld scanners are underwater devices that can scan up to one acre of water in less than two minutes which helps locate individuals in water with poor visibility.
These innovative resources enable rescuers to quickly access and identify patients within seconds of arriving on scene. Additionally, these tools greatly bolster the Lifeguard Division’s operational and response capabilities, which enhance performance and compliance with the Port of Los Angeles Terrorism Response Matrix.
The LACoFD extends its gratitude to the Lifeguard Division along with the Planning and Grants Division for their collaboration in securing this grant funding to overall enhance the quality and care to the communities we serve.
