The City of Two Rivers Fire Department is getting some new equipment for its water rescue program.
A grant through the Wisconsin Public Service Foundation allowed the department to get eight new wetsuits to help rescuers stay warm while saving someone in Lake Michigan.
WPS Communications Director Matt Cullen says the WPS Foundations Rewarding Responders Grant Program allows the company to thank the people who work to say thank you to the first responders who dedicate themselves to keeping people safe.
Two Rivers Assistant Fire Chief Chad Kakes says getting the wetsuits will do two things.
“They’ll enable us to respond to the water emergency call on our lakeshore and waterways, within Manitowoc County,” he noted. “But also, it will help reduce the tax burden on Two Rivers residents.”
Kakes also says getting the new wetsuits helps save the department money for the new water rescue program. And right now, they’re the only department to have the type of program.
“We based that off the program that they use in Hawaii, ocean safety,” he explained. “That’s the class that I took. And that’s what I based the program off because they are successful there and I wanted to bring that to the lakeshore.”
Kakes says the beaches are getting busier every year, and they didn’t have the equipment before to help save someone.
Now with their new jet ski, they are able to help rescue anyone who ends up too far into Lake Michigan.
The Two Rivers Fire Department’s Water Rescue Team has been called to action about six times, three times since the department officially started the program on August 1st.
