BELLEVUE, Wash. — The Bellevue Fire Department added a new tool to help with water rescues this summer: jet skis.
The goal is to speed up emergency response times on the water.
“In a region where our summer water temps can still cause hypothermia in minutes,” said interim Fire Chief Dave Tait. “This equipment will help us get to people in distress quicker and get them to safety or further medical treatment as efficiently as possible.”
The department began using the jet skis in Lake Washington on Monday and will begin deployment on Lake Sammamish on June 16.
The new equipment was funded by the Bacon Family Foundation and nearly 200 community donors in partnership with the Bellevue Fire Foundation.
Before the jet skis, the department was using paddleboards and other basic tools in its operations.
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