The Chelsea Fire Department has new battery-powered extrication tools, the equipment commonly called the Jaws of Life, used to cut and spread metal to free people trapped in crashed vehicles and in other technical rescues.
The tools replace gasoline-powered hydraulic rescue tools that had been in service for about 27 years, according to the City. They will be assigned to Tower Ladder 1.
The City says the $50,000 purchase was paid for entirely by a Massachusetts gaming grant awarded to Chelsea earlier this year.
Battery tools do away with the separate gas-powered pump and hoses of the old hydraulic sets. The City says the new equipment is more portable and reliable, “helping firefighters work quickly and effectively when every second matters.”
Also from Chelsea public safety
Members of the Chelsea Police Department’s Special Response Team recently trained with the NEMLEC Regional Response Team in Billerica on search and rescue. According to the department, officers practiced coordinated search techniques, used CalTopo mapping software, and trained with SafetyNet equipment, which is used to help locate vulnerable people who may go missing. NEMLEC, the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council, is a consortium of police departments in the region that share specialized teams.
The department also opened its 2026 Faith and Blue events on September 21 at Temple Emmanuel, an evening of conversation with members of the city’s Jewish community led by Rabbi Oksana Chapman.