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New Marine Rescue Boat Put Into Service for Chester Hose

On Sept. 25, The Chester Hose Company Incorporated put into service its newest piece of apparatus, a 26-foot-long Landing craft Fire/Rescue boat with an enclosed cabin. Built locally by Chester Boat Works in Deep River, the fabricators took meticulous care and worked with precision while manufacturing such an integral piece of equipment.

James Grzybowski, Chester’s Fire Chief, says the department covers 17 square miles and has roughly a 4,000-person population, with 68 volunteer firefighters operating out of the downtown main station and a sub-station on the West of the town.

“We have seven marinas, several boat launches, and lots of recreational and charter boats in our area. We also get called mutual aid as far north as Haddam Meadows down the river into Essex, and across to Hamburg Cove in Lyme,” Grzybowski said. “This boat replaced a 1986 Steury which has served the department for over 30 years with firefighting and rescue equipment but was behind in the needs of today’s members to provide overall protection on the river.”

Chester Marine Rescue, as the boat will be known, has a 625-gallon per minute fire pump, capable of supplying a deluge gun and handheld hose lines at the same time. The boat is also equipped with both side and down scan sonar for searches. Additionally, factored into the building of the boat was an onboard generator, to maintain climate control of the enclosed cabin while treating patients and to provide electrical power to run tools. This boat will allow personnel to fight fires from the bow, which also serves as an EMS and dive platform in a rescue or recovery situation, with its dropdown deck controlled by a hand crank.

The new fire/rescue boat is kept at the end of Railroad Avenue, in Chester Creek, just in from the overlook, where the creek meets The Connecticut River. The boat will remain in the water into December, or as the weather allows. Once it is drydocked for the season, it will then be placed back in the water for service in March. Grzybowski thanks the residents of Chester, elected officials, and the marinas for their support of the department’s mission.

“This boat was built for the future and will protect people for twenty-plus years to come. It’s an honor to work for a town that puts safety first in all elements,” Grzybowski said.