Massachusetts’ Dartmouth Fire Department gets new rescue RIB

By Baird Maritime - August 9, 2021.

*Photo: Dartmouth Fire Department District 1 official Facebook page*

The Dartmouth Fire Department in Massachusetts recently took delivery of a new rigid inflatable boat (RIB) for use in emergency response.

Built by Connecticut-based Defender Industries, the RIB has a length of 14 feet (4.2 metres), seating for up to eight, and a 40hp (29kW) Tohatsu outboard. It replaces an older 10-foot (three-metre) dinghy that has been in service with the department for 16 years.

The RIB will be capable of year-round operation unlike the department’s larger 30-foot (nine-metre) fire and rescue boat, which is to be placed in storage during the winter months.