VW donates 190 Passats to fire training

Volkswagen has donated 190 model year 2012 Passats to fire squads around the nation to foster life-saving training techniques on current-generation vehicles. The latest donation was to the Sterling Volunteer Rescue Squad in Virginia.

Around the country, fire rescue teams are often the first on the scene at a vehicle accident and are usually the first medically-trained responders. It is often up to them to extract people from their vehicles after an accident and to do so both quickly and safely. To that end, they conduct training exercises regularly.

Often, these rescue teams are left to train on old, outdated, junked cars due to budget constraints. Volkswagen of America, however, sees the need for these rescue teams to have access to new, current-model vehicles in order to train with vehicles that incorporate all of the latest safety technologies and materials.

Throughout 2012 and up until this week, the automaker donated 190 2012 Volkswagen Passat cars to rescue teams around the country. The latest was the donation of three of the cars to the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company and Sterling Volunteer Rescue Squad in Sterling, Virginia. The announcement of these last three donations for the 2012 fiscal year was made at the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company's headquarters with the delivery of the three Passats.

"Volkswagen of America is pleased to be able to donate these vehicles to fire and rescue officials across the country," said Hardy Brennecke, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Volkswagen Group of America. "It is our hope that these donations will establish innovative techniques for fire and rescue officials whoare on the front lines and responsible for saving lives every day."

The donation program for fire companies and rescue squads around the country is a part of Volkswagen's larger North American and global efforts to arm today and tomorrow's workfoces with the latest in automotive technology through its Partners in Education program. So far, that program has donated $7.3 million to support students and teachers in Virginia and Tennessee alone, including donated vehicles, materials, and grants.