BRP continues its commitment to supporting its partnership with Surf Life Saving (SLS); in an effort to improve emergency response at dangerous “Black Spot” locations along Australia’s coastlines, BRP recently provided SLS with its state-of-the-art Sea-Doo personal watercraft, Can-Am off road vehicles and Evinrude outboard engines as part of The BRP Powercraft Equipment Grant. In association with Surf Life Saving Australia’s national partnership with Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), the grant has delivered $1.26 million worth of essential lifesaving equipment to more than 160 Surf Life Saving clubs and services around Australia since commencing in 2009.
In a report by JSW Powersports, “‘Black Spots’ are locations SLS has specifically identified with having a high concentration of coastal incidents and a high risk of ongoing reoccurrence. SLS has targeted the most treacherous locations, and part of the strategy to help reduce drownings at coastal danger spots is to ensure lifeguards at these locations have the latest technology in rescue craft at their disposal. In 2014 alone, the subsidy based grant which was launched in January, has allocated $360,000 worth of powercraft equipment including the Can-Am Commander 800 all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and the Sea-Doo GTI 155 rescue water craft (RWC). Surf Life Saving is Australia’s major water safety, drowning prevention and rescue authority. It is also one of the largest volunteer movement of its kind in Australia, and a not-for-profit entity that exists only through community donations, government funding, fundraising and corporate sponsorship from companies such as BRP.”
Surf Life Saving Australia Coastal Safety Manager, Anthony Bradstreet was quoted, “All-terrain vehicles and jet skis are powerful lifesaving tools. They enable surf lifesavers and lifeguards to move around the beach and water quickly. This means patrolling and rescues can be performed with greater efficiency and there’s better chances of saving lives on the coast. It’s important to remember that Surf Life Saving is a charity and relies on the community to save lives. BRP assists the SLS movement on a grassroots level. They understand our core business of saving lives and help us in our delivery of this emergency response community service at an operational level.”
Kym Pardey, Marketing Manager for BRP Australia, continued, “There is fantastic alignment with our brands including Sea-Doo and Evinrude with SLS’s rescue equipment needs. We can see no better way in which our company can support the community than by providing SLS lifesavers and lifeguards with products that will help save lives on Australian beaches”. Pardey further commented, “The Page partnership also enables us to showcase how our products offer fantastic performance yet are sensitive to the environment; for example our Sea-Doo PWC’s are exceptionally quiet, provide industry leading fuel efficiency, and offer innovative technology such as our unique on-water braking system that delivers real safety benefits. More than just a great rescue craft, Sea-Doo PWC’s offer families the freedom to have a fun and safe time on our amazing waterways.”
Vice President and Regional General Manager – BRP Asia-Pacific, Gregoire Dupont, was pleased with how the BRP Grant participates in assisting Surf Life Saving, stating, “BRP is proud to extend its support in our sixth year of the Grant. We see no better way for BRP to promote its brands such as Sea-Doo and Can-Am, than by having our product in the community and assisting the many dedicated SLS members perform their important patrol duties.”
