LOS ANGELES : Firefighters Seek to Use Ski-Type Boats for Rescues
Hoping to increase their rescue capabilities, Los Angeles firefighters will ask the City Council today for permission to use small Jet Ski-type boats to pluck people from the churning waters of flood control channels.
Firefighters say the craft would allow rescuers more mobility in swift-flowing channels and are safer than large boats in water that often is filled with debris.
An average of six people die each year in the network of flood control channels that crisscross the city. Rescuers often are thwarted by their inability to reach victims as they are swept downstream.
If the City Council approves, members of a rescue team would be trained to use six of the craft, which are similar to Jet Skis and usually cost between $6,000 and $11,000--but would be loaned to the city by the manufacturer.
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