I once spoke to a Malibu resident on the Topanga GMRS repeater and he told me that the City of Malibu was funding the manufacture of DB20-G GoBox's with an enclosed rechargeable battery for distribution to citizens in particularly sensitive areas of the City that are at risk for fire and flood/mud dangers.
I wish I had written down his callsign, because the whole concept sounds fascinating and I have never been able to get any followup on this project, including much use of Google on the City's website.
The VNC575 Topanga Repeater is, as to be expected, privately held.