A new fireboat will be in service soon on Lake Lanier.
In July, Hall County Fire Rescue received a new fire boat that will add patient-care capabilities and more. It will be docked at Holiday Marina near Lanier Islands and put into service as soon as training is complete.
“To have this state of the art vessel a part of our fleet is incredible. It will allow our crew members to provide better patient care, and most importantly, provide fire suppression on Lake Lanier,” said Fire Chief Jerry Smith. “We have about 14 million visitors on Lake Lanier each year, and they deserve to have the best possible response and services from our department.”
The landing craft-style boat is powered by twin Yamaha 450 hp outboards. The boat is 38 feet long and has a 1,500 gallon-per-minute pump and a 300-gallon fuel tank. On-board equipment includes sonar, radar, forward-looking infrared and dive gear that can assist on drowning calls.
Designed for patient care, there is a full-length patient care bench inside a heated and cooled cabin.
Once operational, the fireboat will provide fire-suppression capabilities on the water to boat fires and dock fires, as well as provide water access to lakeside house fires.
The Marine Rescue Team is training daily to get the boat out on the water as soon as possible.
Photo: provide by Hall County
