Fairhaven launches new emergency boat

By Jonathan Comey, Neighb News Correspondent

When responding to a marine emergency, teamwork is of the highest importance.

So it was fitting that it took some top-notch teamwork between departments, administrations and towns to bring the shiny new Marine 34 fire boat to the Fairhaven fleet.

“This is an historic moment for our community and our department,” Fairhaven Fire Chief Todd Correia said to kick off a Nov. 14 event launching the boat into the waters off of Pease Park. “Marine 34 is a vessel designed with marine firefighting abilities, hazardous material response and emergency medical response to not only the town of Fairhaven but Buzzards Bay as a whole.”

The need for a fire boat had been identified under the administrations of Chiefs David Crowley and Tim Francis, but prohibitive expense kept the addition at bay.

“Due to the limitations of budget, our dream never came true,” Correia said.

But several harbor incidents in recent years brought urgency to the matter, and the town turned to the Bristol County Commissioners office to help out with access to federal harbor protection funds.

After getting the Fairhaven select board’s approval, the request for funds was submitted – and declined. But the town didn’t give up, reaching out to Bristol County commissioner John Saunders to plead their case.

“There were some misunder­standings,” Saunders said, but after more discussion the funding was approved.

“I’ve been on the waterfront my whole life, sixty years, and this couldn’t be needed any more,” Saunders said. “Especially the last 4-5 years, we’ve had some major accidents on the waterfront, and it’s a joint effort between New Bedford and Fairhaven to conquer these tasks.”

“I think we  helped this town and several other towns in our community to take on projects that don’t have to be supported by the backs of the taxpayers. It’s just a great cause to put money toward to help save lives.

As a large flag dangling from the ladder of a Fairhaven fire truck flew overhead, and the new fire boat gleamed in the background,  Chief Correia thanked Saunders – “our champion” – along with members of his staff, acting deputy fire chief Josh Benoit and harbormaster Timothy Cox.

Benoit led the group designing the vessel from the ground up, a process that Correia says took “months and years to develop.”

Excitement grew as the team worked with Alabama-based manufacturing company Silver Ships to produce the aluminum workboat. The team traveled to Alabama to do sea trials and testing, all leading up to the launch.

“This represents a major step forward to protect lives, property and the environment,” Benoit said, noting that the shipbuilding team relied on human operators, not machines.

Marine 34 has 1500-gallon-per-minute fire pump, thermal imaging and side-scan sonar to tackle all manner of water emergency. It’s equipped with a patient treatment bench, storage area for medical gear and abilities advanced life support.

“Josh spent countless hours of his own time researching products, electronics, power sources and navigation for this vessel,” Correia said. “His contribution to this project relieved me of a lot of pressures.”

*Harbormaster Tim Cox said “we are one small town in Buzzards Bay, but there only a few places where people keep boats in the water and this town is one of them. I think this boat is going to fit in very well and be able to help a lot of people.”

“This is a true partnership,” Correia said. “We’ll be doing joint training sessions, and we look forward to working together.”

With the remarks finished, fire department chaplain, Lt. Robert Langevin, delivered a blessing – “we pray that this vessel will return safely to the harbor and its docking at every venture.”

Town Administrator Keith Hickey christened Marine 34 with the smash of a champagne bottle.

Then, gleaming in the sun with bursts of red and silver, it was lowered into the water to a round of applause from the gathered – the first dip into the Fairhaven waterfront of what will be many to come.

*CORRECTION: Removed wording from previous versions. Fire Department has control of the boat, not Harbormaster. 

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