Special to the Independent
On Wednesday, July 31, 2024, Mayor Carlo DeMaria, the City of Everett Fire Department (EFD) and many other officials, gathered at the Encore Docks to unveil and officially commission the latest asset to be added to the already impressive inventory of state of the art, life-saving equipment of the EFD, a new Fire Boat, christened “Marine 1.”
Mayor DeMaria stated, “I am guessing that many of you never would have thought of Everett having a need for a fire boat. In actuality, we are a community that has an impressive amount of shoreline and access to waterways. We have spent a considerable amount of time and effort into improving our waterfront for our residents. The fire boat will help us to ensure the security of these areas within our community.”
Interim Fire Chief Joe Hickey speaks as Mayor applauds.
He also added, “This newest asset for our Everett Fire Department is an important tool for our city as an urban area to ensure the safety and security of our waterfront for our residents, and especially for the future development that we hope to be able to welcome to our shoreline as part of the continued transformation of our city”.
The fire boat is a 32-foot Defiant (2nd generation, NXT) boat. Defiant class vessels are fast, responsive, stable, and versatile vessels with a crew-friendly, weather protective closed cabin layout. This advanced fire boat is crucial for the Everett Fire Department, the citizens of Everett, and surrounding communities that depend on us for mutual aid, particularly in hazardous materials (Hazmat) situations.
The fire boat features a CBRNE-rated (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive) wheelhouse/cabin, enabling it to operate safely in highly hazardous environments. It is equipped with air monitoring capabilities to detect hazardous materials in the air and a boom for containing hazardous substances on the water. Additionally, the boat possesses robust fire suppression capabilities, essential for managing vessel fires and other emergency calls for service.
The fire boat was funded via the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Boston program, specific to the Boston metropolitan area. UASI is a grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It aims to enhance regional preparedness and capabilities in major metropolitan areas to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism and other major disasters.