Nahant Fire seeking rescue boat

NAHANT – Fire Chief Robert Ward said the department is seeking funds to purchase a new rescue boat for the Ocean and High Angle Rescue Team.Ward said the team currently only has a small eight-foot inflatable at its disposal. He said the department needs a hard bottom inflatable rescue boat, which is expected to cost $30,000.Last year, the annual Mitchell’s Corner Block Party raised $10,000 towards the purchase of a new boat for the ocean rescue team, but another $20,000 is still needed.Ward said he has been applying for grants to help cover the cost of the boat, but the department has not qualified for any of the matching grants yet.?This is a necessary piece of equipment,” Ward said. “We’ve been applying for grants to help cover the cost of the boat. We’d like to raise the money ourselves, but if we can’t we’ll ask Town Meeting for the funds to buy it.”Nahant’s Ocean and High Angle Rescue Team, which currently has eight members, was formed in 1997. The team members have received specialized training in a number of areas, including vertically challenged conditions like those that would be encountered at East Point.The team meets monthly to practice various rescue maneuvers and techniques including rappelling, water rescue and ice rescue.Ward said anyone who would like to make a tax deductible donation towards the purchase of a new boat could send a check to Town of Nahant Ocean Rescue Boat Fund, 334 Nahant Road, Nahant, Mass., 01908.