With the threat of wildfires on the rise in California, firefighters are overhauling basic firefighting equipment to get ahead.
Sam Wu, Project Leader with the San Dimas Technology and Development Center, told KPCC Southern California Public Radio that his team is working to make sure firefighters have the most up-to-date gear for battling fires.
Recently, the team purchased a burn simulator to create a large fire to test out new equipment. This is the first such simulator in the country and cost $350,000, according to KPCC.
The new equipment that is being tested to its limits includes hoses, trucks, and pumps.
“We need to refine the things that we do and think of it on a bigger scale in terms of how we can help firefighters,” Wu told the radio station.
Read more at SCPR.org.