The Zadar County Firefighting Association (VZZ) of Croatia has selected local company Iskra Shipyard for the construction of a new response boat.
The vessel is scheduled to be completed and delivered within 12 months of the signing of the contract, which is valued at approximately €2.24 million (US$2.6 million).
Iskra Shipyard said the VZZ fire boat will be a further development of a proven concept that the company successfully implemented through an earlier search and rescue (SAR) vessel built for Croatia's Emergency Maritime Medical Service (EMMS).
As with the EMMS SAR boat, design work on the VZZ vessel will be undertaken by Metal Shark Croatia.
Zadar County Fire Brigade President Željko Šoša said the new boat will be used for extinguishing fires on islands, in ports, and along coastal areas.
The completed boat will have a length of 15 metres, a beam of 4.7 metres, and a draught of only 1.35 metres. Two Volvo Penta IPS950 engines that each produce 533 kW at 2,500 rpm will deliver a top speed of 27 knots and a range of 150 nautical miles.
