New rescue boat delivered to West Haven Fire Department

By Baird Maritime - April 25, 2019.

Image: James O’Brien via New Haven Register

The West Haven Fire Department Center District in Connecticut has taken delivery of a new rescue boat acquired mostly through federal grant funding.

Although designed primarily for search and rescue (SAR), the 36-foot (10.97-metre) boat also has equipment for firefighting and for detecting hazardous chemicals.

It will operate in Long Island Sound to provide SAR not only in West Haven but also in support of the US Coast Guard and the first responder agencies of other nearby municipalities.

This is the second rescue boat to be acquired by the department. The first boat, a 14-foot (4.26-metre) vessel, will be relegated to shallow water rescues.