Tribe Donates $25,000 Worth of Equipment to Cathedral City Firefighters

RAL CITY — Six firefighters here will receive new protective equipment worth $25,000, courtesy of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. The tribe will donate the equipment at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 17 at 68-700 Avenida Lalo Guerrero, Cathedral City, in the Paseo.

The donation includes protective clothing and gear including six structural sets and six wildland sets.  Each set includes helmets, hoods, goggles, coats, pants, gloves and boots for the firefighters.

“The Cathedral City Fire Department sincerely thanks the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians for their generous funding of $25,000 for protective equipment issued to our six new firefighters,” Fire Chief Paul S. Wilson said in a prepared statement. “The protective clothing is worn during emergency responses in order to facilitate the rescue of trapped victims and suppress fires occurring in buildings, vehicles and the wildland.”

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, a federally recognized Indian Tribe located in Palm Springs, has a rich history of significant donations to local police and fire departments in Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Springs and unincorporated Riverside County.

“Firefighters and public safety personnel are working throughout the Coachella Valley every day to make our communities better,” Tribal Chairman Jeff L. Grubbe said in a prepared statement.  “We believe this donation to the Cathedral City Fire Department will be very beneficial in assisting these new fire fighters as they respond to emergencies, protect the community and save lives.”

The Cathedral City Fire Department consists of 46 employees including 42 fire suppression personnel.  All firefighters are certified paramedics or emergency medical technicians able to respond to more than 5,800 medical and fire emergencies on an annual basis.

“Cathedral City and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians have a long history of collaborating on public safety programs that benefit our mutual businesses and residents,” Mayor Stan Henry said in a prepared statement.  “We appreciate the tribe’s commitment of putting public safety first by providing vital equipment that helps protect our six new firefighters as they respond to medical and fire emergencies.”