The name mightn’t inspire much excitement, but the Kenai Fire Department’s new “Boat 2” boasts 500 horsepower tied to a 25-foot aluminum-hull.
Chief Tucker: “And it’s really a unique asset for us an advantage to purchase it for the Department and the City of Kenai.”
Kenai Fire Chief Jeff Tucker said the former Coast Guard vessel was transferred to KFD on Monday. They’ll now be able to respond to a greater range of emergencies on and off-shore or even a downed aircraft out in open waters.
Chief Tucker: “It gives us an extra measure of stability, safety for our responders with an enclosed cabin, it’s a larger platform for us to work on, it has the capacity to hold 10 people, it’d be able to get out into heavier seas in the Inlet. We have the responsibility with the airport to go out and provide potentially downed-aircraft rescue and other operations in the Inlet.”
Tucker said the City would pay $375,000 for the boat new, but that was cut to just $103,500, covered in part by a state grant ($90,000) and a City appropriation ($13,500).
