Photo courtesy of Toyota

Photo courtesy of Toyota

The City of San Diego, Calif., and Toyota unveiled new lifeguard vehicles to kick off Memorial Day weekend. Toyota donated 35 new SUVs and pickup trucks to the city’s lifeguards, and agreed to maintain and service the vehicles.

The donation includes the Toyota Tacoma, Tundra, 4Runner, and Sequoia, as well as the 2017 RAV4 Hybrid, which offers 34 miles per gallon and is equipped with Toyota’s new Safety Sense package. All of the donated vehicles are off-road capable and durable enough to withstand sand and marine environments, according to the automaker.

According to the city, the pickup trucks are used as patrol cars and the SUVs are used by supervisors. Patrol vehicles are equipped with a rescue paddleboard, stretcher, and an EMT jump bag which includes oxygen, an automatic external defibrillator, two types of rescue buoys, and other supplies. The vehicles also have a bailout bottle SCUBA for quick underwater searches, two sets of mask and snorkel, and a small marker buoy with line and weight in case of missing swimmer emergencies. Some supervisor vehicles are also equipped with cliff rescue equipment and river rescue equipment in the winter.

Toyota has partnered with the city to promote beach safety since 2011 through vehicle donations and through sponsoring the city’s Water Safety Days program.

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