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New fire, rescue boat to be deployed this summer

The city of Rochester Fire Department has acquired a new fire and rescue boat, Marine 1, to be deployed by Engine 19, the Lake Avenue Fire Station.

The City of Rochester Fire Department will deploy its new fire and rescue boat, Marine 1, on July 1, 2021. (provided)
The City of Rochester Fire Department will deploy its new fire and rescue boat, Marine 1, on July 1, 2021. (provided)

Marine 1 will provide substantially improved fire, rescue and medical water-based response capabilities compared with the department’s previous fire and rescue boat, a 17-foot recreational motorboat.

“This vessel will enhance the Rochester Fire Department’s response capabilities in providing for the safety of the residents, businesses and boating community in the Charlotte neighborhood and the nearby waterways,” said Rochester Fire Department Chief Felipe Hernandez Jr. in a statement.

Marine 1 is a 37-foot mission-specific fire and rescue boat capable of simultaneously rescuing six to eight people and pumping more than 1,500 gallons per minute of water or fire suppression foam. The new vessel will expand the operational time frame into the cold weather months and enhance the safety of citizens and firefighters in poor lake conditions.

Marine 1 will be the most capable fire and rescue boat on the south shore of Lake Ontario, officials said.

The rescue boat will be used for water-based emergencies on the lake, within the Port of Rochester and on the Genesee River up to the Veterans Bridge at Route 104. For the last nine months, RFD firefighters have been receiving training through a collaborative effort with the state Parks Police Marine Training Unit and the U.S. Coast Guard. Additional water rescue training that was delayed due to COVID-19 will take place this summer.

The vessel was delivered this week by Moose Boats out of California. Moose Boats was awarded the contract in April 2019 after an extensive project development process that began in 2013. The process included securing grants from the New York state Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York.

Marine 1 is expected to be in service by July 1.

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