Safety day to help raise rescue boat funding.Byline: Rebecca Nolan The Register-Guard The Eugene fire department's rescue boat has had a long and distinguished career, responding to 23 calls for help last year alone. But its crew says it's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a to retire the boat and for a newer vessel to take its place on the city's rivers and lakes. Back in the early 1990s, when the city bought this boat, the stream of revenue was running high. Now it's all but dried up, District Chief Dave Coleman David Lee Coleman (born October 26, 1950 in Dayton, Ohio) is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played briefly for the Boston Red Sox during the 1977 season. He batted and threw right handed. Listed at 6-3, 195 lb. said, and the city can't afford to buy a new one right now. So firefighters are turning to the public to help raise the $40,000 needed to purchase a new craft and send the old one on its way. "There's nothing wrong with it," Coleman said of the old boat. "It's just aging and it's due for a replacement." "It's like an old car," engineer paramedic par·a·med·ic n. A person who is trained to give emergency medical treatment or assist medical professionals. paramedic Scott Olmos said. "It requires a lot of service." The department's fund-raising effort Noun 1. fund-raising effort - a campaign to raise money for some cause fund-raising campaign, fund-raising drive crusade, campaign, cause, drive, effort, movement - a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end; "he supported will begin Saturday during the third annual Water Safety Day event at Alton Baker Park Alton Baker Park is located in Eugene, Oregon, United States, near Autzen Stadium. It features duck ponds, bicycle trails, and a dog park, and directly touches the Ferry Street Bridge. in Eugene. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of bottled water, soda, hot dogs, pizza and other snacks will go to the boat replacement fund. Firefighters are looking at other ways to finance the purchase, as well. The current vessel is an airboat air·boat n. See swamp boat. , similar to those used in the Florida Everglades. A large fanlike propeller propeller, device consisting of a hub with one or more blades that propels a craft to which it is attached by rotating its blades in a fluid such as air or water. drives it forward. Its shallow hull makes it ideal for navigating shallow waters where boaters and swimmers frequently get into trouble. But because of the boat's ventures into those areas, which are often rocky, it takes quite a beating, and keeping it shipshape is getting more expensive, Olmos said. And advances in technology have made newer boats larger, lighter, faster and quieter, Coleman said. To extend the boat's life, the water rescue team has stopped training in shallow water. And the boat won't be at Saturday's safety fair to take kids on quick rides up and down the Willamette River Willamette River River, northwestern Oregon, U.S. It flows north for 300 mi (485 km) into the Columbia River near Portland. Oregon's most populous cities are in its valley. The Fremont Bridge, a steel arch with a main span of 1,225 ft (373 m), crosses the river at Portland. as it has for the past two years. But there will still be plenty of activities at the free event. Eugene police will be there taking kids' fingerprints and photographs that parents can keep at home in case their child ever goes missing. And for grown-ups, the Lane County sheriff's marine patrol will conduct free boat inspections. Kids can see firefighters extract dummies from cars using the latest tools, watch the Eugene police bomb squad demonstrate its remote- controlled robot "Big Jim Big Jim was a popular line of action figure toys produced from 1971 through 1986 by Mattel for the North American and European markets. Inspired by G.I. Joe, the Big Jim line was smaller (closer to 10 inches in height compared to Joe's 12) and each figure included a push button in ," check out SWAT team gear and weapons, see the fire department's technical rescue team rappel from 100-foot ladder trucks, and eye all kinds of emergency vehicles. Kids can win prizes such as bicycle helmets and life jackets. The fire department's water rescue team began the event after a series of preventable drownings in the late 1990s, Olmos said. Since then it has grown to include other agencies from all over the county, including the Coast Guard. But, Olmos said, the goal remains the same: "We're all trying to get the same message out, and that's safety." WATER SAFETY DAY What: A free event for children and families interested in rescue equipment and safety When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday Where: Alton Baker Park, Eugene |
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