For more than a century, the American Red Cross has been delivering help and hope to neighbors down the street, across the country, and around the world. Every eight minutes, the Red Cross meets a family that has lost everything—their homes, clothes, and cherished possessions—to a home fire or other disaster. The Red Cross makes sure they have a safe place to sleep, nourishing food and supplies.
Delivering Help in Massachusetts
Since January, the Red Cross of Massachusetts responded to more than 400 home fires and many calls for assistance during our March winter storms. We were there for storms Grayson, Riley, Quinn, and Skylar when our volunteers worked around the clock to set up shelters, provide meals, and deliver cleanup kits. Our compassionate volunteers can respond at a moment’s notice thanks to our emergency response vehicles.
Our Challenge in Massachusetts
The Red Cross depends on the steadfast service of our vehicles. Our emergency response vehicles travel an average of 20,000 a year. They are experiencing frequent mechanical problems that require costly maintenance and repairs. This vital part of our disaster relief efforts must be replaced soon.
Improved Service with the Next Generation Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs)
Next-generation ERVs have improved safety features, like
– rearview cameras
– enhanced ergonomic systems
– wider windows
Fuel Efficiency
Current emergency response vehicles average 10 miles per gallon, while the new models average 18 miles per gallon. With 80-percent greater fuel efficiency, the next-generation emergency response vehicles create significant cost savings over the life of the vehicle. For example, each current emergency response vehicle consumes about 1,000 gallons of fuel each year at an approximate cost of $4,000. In comparison, new models use almost half as much fuel to travel the same distance.
Reduced Maintenance Costs
Maintenance costs are drastically reduced with next-generation emergency response vehicles. Preventative maintenance costs will decrease by $2,800 per vehicle each year, or $42,000 over the expected 15-year life of the vehicle.
