County Gets New Custom Emergency Response Boat
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
Anderson County has a new public safety boat to improve response efforts to emergencies on Hartwell Lake.
The 28-foot, custom-built Lyman-Morse craft has a built-in water tank and pump for firefighting operations and an aluminum hull and drop-down bow door to allow for beaching the boat on most coastline areas. The emergency response boat is equipped with twin Yamaha 250’s which can travel at speeds over 50 mph.
A public demonstration of the Emergency Response Boat is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, at Green Pond Landing and Event Center.
“Lake Hartwell attracts more than 11 million visitors yearly, and more than 13,000 Anderson County residents live on the shores of Hartwell, Russell, Broadway, and Secession lakes,” said Anderson County Council Chair Tommy Dunn. “Our Council is entrusted with a tremendous responsibility concerning these assets, and see the deployment of this watercraft as being necessary to ensure the life, safety, and property of our residents and guests.”
The new boat replaces a watercraft in service since 2005, which no longer met current service demands. Designed as a multifunctional boat to support fire, EMS, law enforcement, HAZMAT, rescue, and recovery operations, the boat sports a removable fire pump capable of flowing 630 gallons of water per minute, and is equipped to support land-based firefighting operations from the water’s edge.
“I cannot overstate the importance of the new boat’s ability to support firefighting efforts,” said Tommy Keaton, Chair of the Anderson County Fire Commission. “It is often difficult for fire apparatus to reach shoreline structures, so this new tool will certainly enhance our efforts to save lives and protect property.”
Water rescue and recovery efforts will also benefit from the availability of a crane capable of hoisting 3,000 pounds, a 360-degree lighting system, and advanced sonar equipment.
“The boat’s features will greatly improve the dive team’s efforts during rescue operations, in those times when every second counts,” said Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride. “Our recovery efforts are also important because they can provide peace of mind to families, so we are thankful for any new available resources that will help us in our mission.”
Emergency Response Boat operations are supervised by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management Division in partnership with the Anderson Technical Rescue Team, Anderson County Fire Department, Anderson County EMS, and the Sheriff’s Office Marine Division. The vessel is available for deployment to partner jurisdictions under the terms of existing mutual-aid agreements. Funding for the new vessel was provided by the Anderson County Council through its annual budgeting process.