Supervisors Approve Purchase Of New Fire Boat

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District is getting a new fireboat.

Con Fire's board, also known as the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, on Tuesday approved spending $825,000 for a 32-foot vessel for Con Fire's maritime response team.

The money will come from the county's EMS transport fund.

The new fire boat, which will be moored in Discovery Bay, can provide up to 1,000 gallons per minute onto a fire or act as a water supply to units working along a levee.

A staff report for Tuesday's meeting said the new boat offers a large working deck with an enclosed cabin, a landing-craft-style bow door, quick response capability, and low maintenance costs.

The versatility and dependability of the platform will allow Con Fire to respond in an "all hazards" manner for many years.

This will be the sister vessel to another identical vessel owned and operated by Con Fire out of Pittsburg.

"Fire Boat 95 is now moored at Bethel Harbor where it is positioned to provide much-needed rescue, fire, and water supply capability for Bethel Island and surrounding Delta communities," said Lewis Broschard, fire chief of Con Fire. "The nearby and recently trained crew members of Fire Station 95 are staffing this new and important addition to our marine program, which also includes Fire Boat 85 in Pittsburg, as well as our swift water rescue team."

Con Fire responds to emergencies on 30 miles of navigable waterways.

The boat comes from the William E. Munson Company.

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