ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
Lynn Firefighter Kevin Phipps, left, and Firefighter Dan Zadgan-Gross look over the “Defender 25,” a 24-foot, nine-inch boat that used to be a Coast Guard vessel and is now part of the Lynn Fire Department.
BY BRIDGET TURCOTTE
LYNN — A new fire boat is coming to the rescue on the city’s waterfront area.
The Lynn Fire Department acquired a new boat, which, says District Chief Tom Collier, will drastically improve the way it is able to protect the city.
The boat will improve the department’s ability to perform search-and-rescue missions and provide better access to attack fires near the coast. It also fits with the city’s plan to further develop the waterfront area.
“We’re constantly looking for ways to protect our district,” Collier said. “This provides us with a safe, stable platform to do our work as lead agents. It will allow us to do things we’re not currently able to do.”
The department acquired the boat — which is valued at approximately $300,000 — from the Coast Guard, free of charge. Collier said the Coast Guard gets rid of its boats every 10 years.
The department has been barely keeping its head above water with the two small 10-foot rubber inflatable boats it uses for emergencies and training purposes, Collier said, adding that they’re not ideal for the city’s needs.
It can sometimes be difficult to attack fires near the coast, Collier said, and in the past firefighters have used an aerial ladder to gain access to fires. Using a fire boat will allow them to access the fire from another point, he said.
“The city is actively promoting the development of the waterfront,” Collier said. “Keeping with that, we want to be protected.”
The boat will also help protect the city’s five marinas and five launches, he said.
The boat, a Defender 25 by SAFE, will have water pumps on its bow and stern. It also sits low in the water and has cutouts on the sides to make it easier to pull people into the boat from the water.
“It’s designed for military specs,” Collier said. “(The hull) is a quarter inch (thick) military-grade welded aluminum.
“It’s low maintenance, and has versatility and dependability,” he said.
The boat is 24 feet, 9 inches in length and has a maximum capacity of 13 people, Collier said, and the enclosed aluminum cabin will help to keep members of the fire department safe.
“(The boat) can travel in waters (as shallow as) 20 inches deep,” he said.
It has a hard bottom and foam-like sides that aid in flotation and act as bumpers, he said.
“It has a dry weight of about 6,000 pounds without motors, Collier said. With motors it will weigh about 8,000 pounds.
The boat will also have the ability to tow other boats, which Collier said could be one of its most useful features.
“A lot of times it’s a matter of getting the boat (on fire) away from other boats,” he said. “It can tow a very large boat.”
The addition of the boat will also be crucial for search and rescue missions, he said.
“The hope is to get infrared technology that would allow us to do search and rescue in absolute darkness,” he said.
“We’ve had a search-and-rescue in the fog where we had to wait 30 to 40 minutes for the Coast Guard to arrive because of the weather conditions,” Collier said. “It’s time. This will allow us to start the search and rescue sooner.
“We are here for the protection of lives, property and the environment,” he said. “This allows us to do that. We will be able to do a lot while keeping members safe.”
The new boat will remain in the water at all times, he said, whereas the rubber boats need to be pulled by trailer to the scene.
“It will be a rare occurrence to see it out of the water,” he said. “It will be maintained by the fire department with the help of the harbormaster.”
The only times the boat will be removed from the water will be when it needs to be serviced or if the harbor freezes over, he said.
The boat will be used once it is equipped with the two 225-horsepower motors needed to power it. The fire department is actively seeking resources to purchase the motors, Collier said.
Bridget Turcotte can be reached at [email protected].
