Photo courtesy of Tara Cornett
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
When Tara Cornett’s brother, a firefighter in San Diego County, would return from fighting a large wild fire, they would talk about conditions and the things that the crew had or did not have access to. Sometimes the team would take naps in pools and backyards in between putting out fires.
“They need rest and they need certain things,” Cornett explained.
Cornett began to do more research, talking with seasoned firefighters. Putting together all of this feedback, she launched the Firefighter Go Bag Community Support Program.
“We’re a California-based, fire family-owned company offering health, hygiene and nutritional items that are truly unique to firefighters’ needs in one convenient Go Bag to firefighters who are actively fighting wildfires,” Cornett said.
Cornett added that when a fire department goes out and fights a big, multi-day-long fire, community members often drop off items to help, but it ends up being piecemeal. The Go Bag allows the firefighters to receive all of the items that they need in one convenient bag.
Each bag contains firewipes, Gold Bond powder, Carmex lip balm, Visine eye drops, diaper rash cream, cough drops, sunscreen, inspect repellent and tooth wipes. For nourishment, they include Kind bars, Liquid IV and Zipfizz.
The Go Bags, which were launched in April, are being prepared as fire season is picking up. Though available nationally, Cornett will focus on California, including firefighters from Los Angeles Fire Department Station 23 and 69, as they are called to fight wildfires in LA and beyond.
“Our Firefighter Go Bag Community Support Program operates solely on the generosity of our community,” Cornett added, “and now that fire season is upon us, it’s important that we stock up so that we have these kits ready to go when our firefighters need them.”
Palisadians are invited to purchase a Go Bag to be given to a firefighter at firemom.com.
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