The Permian Strategic Partnership and the Permian Road Safety Coalition recently announced a $1.1 million donation of life-saving equipment to first responders in 22 counties across West Texas and Southeast New Mexico. The partnership allows the Coalition to expand its First Responder Life-Saving Equipment Initiative that began in early 2020 with its initial investment of over $250,000 in donated equipment. 

First responding agencies, many of whom are staffed by volunteers, have limited infrastructure and resources that were designed only to respond to local jurisdictions with populations of less than 10,000. It is not unusual now to see responders travel over an hour by road to respond to calls for assistance. The increase in call volume, coupled with longer response times due to extra miles driven, has the potential to delay emergency services responses and, in some cases, delay the delivery of critical emergency response tools required at the scene.

Through this partnering, emergency equipment such as battery-powered jaws of life, fire extinguishers, mobile lighting tools, and rescue helicopter landing zone kits and related training will be provided to first-on-scene local responders, or prepositioned closer to the remote activity areas in need of these resources. This life-saving equipment will give first responders a fighting chance to aid victims and prevent fatalities in otherwise survivable crashes while waiting for additional help to arrive on the scene.

First responder agencies receiving equipment are located in 22 counties, including Andrews, Borden, Crane, Culberson, Dawson, Ector, Gaines, Glasscock, Howard, Loving, Martin, Midland, Pecos, Reagan, Reeves, Terrell, Upton, Ward, Winkler, and Yoakum counties in Texas; and Eddy and Lea counties in New Mexico.