Subaru of America Donates Vehicles for NAVRA Emergency Responder Rescue Training Competition

CAMDEN, N.J., May 31, 2023 /3BL Media/ - This week, Subaru of America, Inc. donated dozens of vehicles to the North American Vehicle Rescue Association (NAVRA) for their three-day rescue workshop session and competition, benefitting the training of emergency responders and offering a second life to pre-production cars that would have otherwise been crushed.

NAVRA provides education and training for firefighters, first responders, paramedics, nurses, physicians, manufacturers, and other related groups. The event took place from May 24th to 26th at Subaru Park in Chester, PA, and featured a two-day workshop on skills and tactics, as well as a mini rescue challenge. The event marked the first time that the training has taken place in the Northeast, providing a unique opportunity for local first responders to get involved and learn skills critical to patient rescue in vehicle accidents.

“Our mission is to reduce the number of motor-vehicle-related injuries and deaths by enhancing the skills and knowledge of expertly trained emergency professionals, and partners like Subaru are essential to this progress,” said John-Paul Shirley, Chester Bureau of Fire Battalion Chief. “We normally only have the opportunity to train on older vehicles from junkyards, and it’s important that we are familiar with newer vehicles with strong construction to help us better adapt lifesaving procedures and skills when dealing with accidents and emergency scenarios.”

First responders from Chester, PA, Scranton, PA, Philadelphia, and Delaware attended the event which included live rescue scenarios with real “victims” using lifesaving tools including saws, cutters, spreaders, pneumatic chisels and more.

“We are so excited to be a part of this amazing event with NAVRA in Chester. This event marked the 145th vehicle that Subaru has donated to emergency rescue organizations across the country over the last few years to help with their training events,” said Shira Haaz, Corporate Responsibility Manager at Subaru of America, Inc. “Not only are we helping to provide training that will allow first responders to improve lifesaving rescues across the region, but this donation also helps Subaru find new life for cars that can’t be sold and would otherwise go unused.”

In addition to the 40 trainees from six fire departments, members of the public and local community stopped by Subaru Park to view the trainings and competition and learn about how firefighters and emergency workers practice the lifesaving skills they use in their incredibly important jobs.

VIDEO: B-roll of the Subaru / NAVRA event is available for download here.

About Subaru of America, Inc.  

Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company's vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $300 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged nearly 88,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do.  

For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

About NAVRA

Founded in 2008, the North American Vehicle Rescue Association (NAVRA) is a non-profit organization committed to preparing today’s rescuers for tomorrow. To accomplish this, we focus on two key elements: the general population (that’s you!) and all emergency medical, fire service, and law enforcement professionals.

For more information on North American Vehicle Rescue Association (NAVRA) visit www.navraus.org.

Diane Anton 
Corporate Communications Manager 
(856) 488-5093 
danton@subaru.com

Adam Leiter 
Corporate Communications Specialist 
(856) 488-8668 
aleiter@subaru.com