San Marino Fire Department Receives $25,000 Grant from California American Water (Key improvements: Active voice, clearer subject-verb flow, concise recipient name, and geographic identifier placed naturally.)

Supported by the American Water Charitable Foundation’s State Strategic Impact Grant Program

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–California American Water and its philanthropic partner, the American Water Charitable Foundation, unveiled a landmark $25,000 grant today to accelerate emergency preparedness innovation. The funding will enable the San Marino Fire Department – with technical support from the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation – to acquire Southern California’s first fully electric full-scale emergency response vehicle, marking a strategic leap in sustainable public safety infrastructure.

San Marino City Manager Philippe Eskandar described the initiative as “a dual-purpose investment that enhances our disaster response capabilities while piloting clean energy adoption for municipal fleets.” The electric SUV will serve as a mobile command center equipped for multi-agency coordination across 13 Verdugo Fire System cities and 10 additional municipalities in Los Angeles County’s Disaster Management Area C.

Notably, the vehicle will be deployed under the supervision of one of California’s 16 Type 2 Credentialed Emergency Operations Center Directors, enabling cross-jurisdictional crisis response. “This positions San Marino as both a regional safety leader and a testbed for EV transition strategies in critical public services,” Eskandar added.

Jessica Taylor, Operations Director at California American Water, emphasized the alignment with corporate values: “Supporting first responders through smarter infrastructure isn’t just philanthropy – it’s essential community stewardship. This grant epitomizes our commitment to building climate-resilient cities.”

The unmarked electric SUV will feature modular equipment capable of supporting fire, police, and public works operations, serving as a prototype for next-generation emergency vehicles. Its deployment coincides with California’s mandate for all new municipal fleet purchases to be zero-emission by 2035.

Carrie Williams, President of the American Water Charitable Foundation, noted the grant reflects their “Keep Communities Flowing” program’s tripartite focus on water security, workforce development, and community resilience. Since 2012, the Foundation has allocated over $20 million to such initiatives across American Water’s 14-state service area.

As the nation’s largest publicly traded water utility, American Water (NYSE: AWK) serves over 14 million customers through regulated operations and military contracts. The San Marino project builds on its recent $2.8 billion capital investment plan for climate adaptation infrastructure through 2027.

Industry analysts observe growing alignment between water utilities and emergency services, particularly in drought-prone Western states. “Water security and disaster preparedness are becoming inseparable,” noted BloombergNEF energy transition analyst Maria Chen. “Strategic partnerships like this could redefine municipal resource planning.”