Venice Florida Receives New Fire Boat

With nearly 30 miles of shore along the Gulf of Mexico, Roberts Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway, and year around sunny weather, Venice is a perfect playground for those who enjoy boating, kayaking, parasailing, swimming and diving. But sometimes things can go wrong in the beautiful water that surrounds the area. That is why having the ability to respond to emergencies by boat is key to the safety of Venice residents and visitors.

West Coast Inland Navigation District recently provided the Venice Fire Department with a grant for $226,100 to purchase and outfit a 32-foot Boston Whaler Justice for search and rescue, fire suppression and emergency medical responses. The boat has twin 300 Mercury Verado engines, the quiet operation of which allows for better radio communications with dispatch and other emergency responders. The fire pump produces 500 gallons of water per minute. Raymire GPS chart plotter with radar, a Humming Bird GPS with sonar, and a night vision FLIR system help responders locate people in distress, even in the dark or under water. A gunwale door, which is an opening on the port side, makes moving a patient from water to the boat an easier, faster and more stable operation.

The department has 15 fully certified boat operators whose training was paid for by the grant. All Venice fire personnel are certified emergency medical technicians. During a multi-agency response, the Venice fire boat may be required to travel as far as 30 miles.

The boat replaces the department’s 2001 24-foot Hydra Sport Vector, which is no longer reliable, is costly to maintain and doesn’t have the most modern technology. The WCIND grant covered the entire cost of the new boat.

Information courtesy of Pam Johnson, Public Information Officer, City of Venice.

For more information on Boating in Venice Florida or Venice Florida homes for sale, visit http://gulfshoresrealty.com/ or call Gulf Shores Realty at 941-488-6644.