Hyundai donates 4 vehicles to city
Vehicles will be used by marine safety division
SANTA CRUZ >> To honor National Public Works Week and National Beach Safety Week, the city of Santa Cruz held a ribbon cutting ceremony on a gloomy Thursday afternoon for four new Santa Cruz model trucks, which were donated to the city by Hyundai Motor America, and will be used by the Santa Cruz Fire Department Marine Safety Division lifeguards.
“This is a vehicle that seamlessly accommodates the multitude of activities that Santa Cruz offers,” said Trevor Lai, senior product planning manager at Hyundai Motor America. “We are honored to donate these four Hyundai Santa Cruz vehicles to the marine safety division contributing to the vital work of keeping beachgoers safe.”
The four vehicles have an approximate value of $164,000, and the donation is the largest vehicle gift to a city by Hyundai Motor America.
“The Hyundai Santa Cruz sport adventure vehicle features bold yet sophisticated design, powerful and efficient powertrain options, a flexible open bed and cutting-edge technology,” said Hyundai Motor America CEO Randy Parker. “We can't think of a better way to strengthen our ties to the city that inspired the vehicle's name than to partner with, and help support, the City of Santa Cruz Marine Safety Division.”
Alongside Lai, speakers at the ribbon-cutting event included Santa Cruz Public Works Director Nathan Nguyen, Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley and Santa Cruz Fire Chief Rob Oatey.
“These vehicles are going to be game-changing in terms of bolstering our current fleet of vehicles that are available not only for patrol, but for the emergency response for the water rescues we have all year round,” said Oatey. “Especially the way they are designed in terms of being lightweight and more compact. It provides better visibility. Our dense beaches can be extremely hazardous to navigate in vehicles, and the better visibility all around is going to enhance safety and make navigating the beach during busy holidays like Memorial Day so much better.”
Oatey thanked the lifeguards in the department's marine safety division and pointed out that last year, Santa Cruz lifeguards performed about 219 water rescues and more than 164,000 safety contacts among the upward of 1 million visitors that came to soak up some sun at city beaches.
He also outlined a number of safety tips that people can keep in mind when visiting the beach this summer. He stressed that beachgoers should never swim alone and also to swim in view of a lifeguard tower and a designated “water watcher.” In light of the holiday week, he mentioned that alcohol and water don't mix, to initially enter the water feet first, pay attention to flags and to always wear sunscreen, among other useful tips.
“Our lifeguards' goal is to make sure that you have a safe and fun experience in the Monterey Bay,” said Oatey. “So again please think safety first and check in with the lifeguards.”
National Beach Safety Week is sponsored annually by the United States Lifesaving Association, which, like Oatey, reminds beachgoers to be cautious around the ocean, because as Keeley pointed out at the ceremony, the ocean is not an amusement park, but a wild place.
“This is not warm water pumped in from underground someplace and contained somewhere,” said Keeley. “This is where the Pacific Ocean and the coast meet.”
Being fresh off from two days of budget meetings, Santa Cruz City Councilmember Sonja Brunner pointed out how fortunate the city is to receive such a generous donation.
“Funding is such an issue with everything,” said Brunner. “I don't even know what these would have cost us so to gain these tools that will benefit everyone is so amazing.”
This year's National Public Works Week theme is “connecting the world through public works,” which highlights public works' constant service to the community. At the ribbon-cutting, Nguyen pointed out the numerous services that the department provides to the public from wastewater to resource recovery.
“Public works really does connect us,” said Nguyen, “Through infrastructure as well as the services that we provide to enhance the quality of life for our community.”
For information about the marine safety division, visit cityofsantacruz.com.