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10/09/2013 12:00 AMThanks to a $337,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the town will retire its current, 20 year-old rescue boat and purchase a public safety vessel used for regional response to firefighting, hazmat situations, rescue and dive operations, and more. Hopes are that the town will have the vessel in place and ready for work by next year's boating season.
The grant will pay up to 75 percent of the boat's cost, meaning that town is still responsible for coming up with $113,000 to purchase the new vessel. This cost will be included in the Town of Guilford's next capital budget.
"The new vessel will be technologically advanced in regard to the safety and rescue equipment it will be outfitted with," explained firefighter paramedic John Planas.
Planas has been working on writing this for the past six months and submitted it in June to help raise money to replace the current Guilford rescue boat, a 25-foot Grady White fishing vessel fitted with extra safety devices, but which the department said is completely out of date.
The new boat, which will be from 28 to 30 feet long, will be a firefighting vessel specifically built for rescue and safety. Made of aluminum, to hold up to the salt water and the New England weather better, it will be equipped with GPS mapping; FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared Imaging System), which allows firefighters to see boats and individuals in the water in total darkness; as well as a sonar device, which will scan the bottom of the ocean and provide a clear picture of the area.
"This is definitely going to be a high-tech vessel that will help in search and rescue as well as recovery operations," said Planas.
The manufacturers being considered for the vessel are the Metalcraft Company based in Canada or Silver Ship based in Alabama.
"We hope to have this decision made by the end of the month; from there it should take about nine months to build out the vessel. We hope to have it in the water sometime next summer," Planas added.
A select number of firefighters will be trained by Peter Beauvais, senior captain of the Marine Division of the Guilford Fire Department. These individuals will be proficient and up to date on all the new technology and able to operate every aspect of the new vessel and navigate the waters in and around Guilford.
Part of the grant award stipulation is that this vessel will be a regional responder in the area, including waters up and into New Haven as far as New York and east as well. The boat will be used in conjunction with the Guilford Police Department when needed. It will also have the capability to help put out fires near the shore in areas that don't have adequate water supply from hydrants and will be used to help mitigate hazardous waste situations in the surrounding water ways. It will also be used by the United States Coast Guard, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Connecticut State Harbormaster, and the Municipal Shellfish Regulatory Commission.
"This vessel will be a huge improvement to the department which will allow us to do our jobs better and provide the entire region, as well the local citizens, with more safety," explained Planas. "The Fire Department is very proud to be getting this new vessel. We strive to continually provide our town with the best possible protection and part of that is having the latest equipment."