Miami Beach Unveils New Fire Boat
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MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) - Miami Beach Fire Rescue will no longer have to rely on Miami or the county when they need to fight a fire from the water or rescue someone in need.
On Tuesday, they unveiled their brand new fire boat.
"This vessel will be crucial for Miami Beach firefighters to significantly decrease the response time to water-related emergencies, including frequent boat crashes, drownings in canals or the beach," said the city's Fire Chief Virgil Fernandez.
Miami Beach Fire Boat 4 will cover 63 miles of seawall and nearly 30 miles of waterways along the barrier island.
"In early 2014, the department conducted a self-assessment and identified the areas and capabilities that needed to be addressed. One of the areas pointed out was the need for an additional life support rescue unit in the north end," said Fernandez.
Up to now, Miami Beach relied on emergency water vessels from Miami and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. Now they can return the favor.
"Historically it's been only Miami-Dade and Miami County that had this capacity and certainly we were close with them but now we have an additional resource that is an important regional resource, for our neighboring cities and areas, that we could be a part of a network to make everyone on the water and around the water a lot safer," said Miami Beach City Manager Jimmy Morales.
The 28 foot long boat, which can hold up to 10 people, has sonar technology which can locate submerged objects up to 150 feet on either side of the vessel and infrared thermal imaging with night vision to assess heat signatures in fires and locate objects on the water.
All firefighter/paramedics assigned to the boat have a captain's license and are dive certified.
