NEWS & PRESS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 22, 2025

Meet Lifeguard™ – New Community-Driven Non-Profit Takes Swift Action vs. Wildfire Spread, Launches GoFundMe

Lake Oswego, OR – Lifeguard™, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2023 after the devastating Lahaina fires in Maui, today announced the launch of its first major donation campaign to fund the deployment of community firehose boxes. The organization’s initial round of fundraising will support installation of secure hose boxes in areas of Hawaii, California, Oregon, and Utah beginning in Q4 2025, with a long-term plan to expand nationwide and ultimately worldwide as resources allow.

Lifeguard’s mission is clear and urgent: To save lives by giving communities the tools, training, and confidence to slow the spread of fires until professional responders can arrive. Each Lifeguard™ firehose box contains 4 Key Items: a commercial-grade firehose(s), nozzle, protective gloves, and wrench. The box exterior includes a scannable QR code linking residents directly to a short training video and proficiency quiz, promoting safe and effective use of both the equipment and fire hydrant in the event of a fire emergency.

Tim Loyd, a 30-year mechanical engineer based in Oregon, founded Lifeguard™ following the Lahaina tragedy that claimed 102 lives. “I realized we can’t just sit and wait for help to arrive,” Loyd said. “We need to empower communities directly—especially in rural and at-risk areas where fire crews can’t always reach in time.”

Lifeguard encourages each community to designate a “Lifeguard” — a trusted resident responsible for maintaining their local box and distributing access keys. To strengthen preparedness, the nonprofit also promotes Lifeguard™ Firehose Box Events, where neighbors gather to learn fire basics and build community resilience.

Ryan Stevenson, a Lifeguard™ board member and owner of PickNRoll Media, the marketing agency assisting Lifeguard™, described why he joined the cause:

“When Tim and I connected this summer about doing some branding and creating a donation website, I knew right away I wanted to be involved on a much deeper level. Living in Utah, it’s rare to go a day without hearing about another new wildfire burning out of control. Firefighters are heroes, but there just aren’t enough of them, and they’re often under-resourced. If we can give communities a safe, proactive way to slow the spread until the professionals arrive, we should. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s one that could save lives and property—and I think the people of Los Angeles, Paradise, Maui and cities worldwide would agree.”

Continued Stevenson, “When it comes to slowing the spread of fire in 2025 and beyond, it’s a nonpartisan topic, we can all agree this is an urgent matter that can’t afford a slow solution. Let’s empower communities to put up a fight and help slow the progress of fire right now. Sometimes it’s the simple solutions that make the most sense.”

In addition to donations at firelifeguard.org/donate, contributions can also be made through GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme.com/help-lifeguard-slow-the-spread-of-wildfires. Checks payable to Lifeguard™ may be mailed to:

Lifeguard
333 S. State St. #323
Lake Oswego, OR 97034

Lifeguard™ is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Receipts are issued automatically online and mailed within 30 business days for offline donations.

To follow active fire data, visitors can explore the Lifeguard™ Live Fire & Burn Zone Interactive Map at firelifeguard.org, which also links to fire alert systems in major cities.

Media Contact:

Ryan Stevenson  |  808.215.6744

[email protected]
firelifeguard.org