THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, AugusT 9, 2024 Page 15 Everett Fire Department launches new fire boat: Marine 1 Everett Police Chief Paul Strong and Everett Fire Chief Joe Hickey on the dock. Father Mike Della Penna and Bishop Robert Brown (both shown at center) gave their blessings to the boat and crew of Marine 1. Bishop Robert G. Brown of Zion Church gave a blessing to the boat. Father Michael Della Penna of the St. Leonard Church of the North End gives a blessing as Fire Chief Joseph Hickey looks on. A great turnout of Everett fire personnel and city officials on the dock at Encore Boston Harbor. Shown from left to right: Firefighter Seth McCullough, Lt. John Gesualdo, Private Nick Russo, Mayor Carlo DeMaria, Fire Chief Joseph Hickey, Deputy Fire Chief Sabato LoRusso and EFD Local 143 President Tom Ross. A future First Responder is shown at the wheel. Special to The Advocate O n Wednesday, July 31, 2024, Mayor Carlo DeMaria, the City of Everett Fire Department (EFD) and many other officials, gathered at the Encore Boston Harbor dock to unveil and officially commission the latest asset to be added to the already impressive inventory of state-of-the-art, life-saving equipment of the EFD, a new fire boat that was christened Marine 1. Mayor DeMaria stated, “I am guessing that many of you never would have thought of Everett having a need for a fire boat. In actuality, we are a community that has an impressive amount of shoreline and access to waterways. Mayor Carlo DeMaria, EFD Chief Joe Hickey and the crew of Marine 1. We have spent a considerable amount of time and effort into improving our waterfront for our residents. The fire boat will help us to ensure the security of these areas within our community.” He added, “This newest asset for our Everett Fire Department is an important tool for our city as an urban area to ensure the safety and security of our waterfront for our residents, and especially for the future development that we hope to be able to welcome to our shoreline as part of the continued transformation of our city.” The fire boat is a 32-foot Defiant (2nd generation, NXT) boat. Defiant class vessels are fast, responsive, stable and versatile vessels with a crew-friendly, weather protective closed cabin layout. This advanced fire boat is crucial for the EFD, the citizens of Everett, and surrounding communities that depend on us for mutual aid, particularly in hazardous materials (Hazmat) situations. The fire boat features a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE)-rated wheelhouse/ cabin, enabling it to operate safely in highly hazardous environments. It is equipped with air monitoring capabilities to detect hazardous materials in the air and a boom for containing hazardous substances on the water. Additionally, the boat possesses roFire Chief Joe Hickey speaks as Mayor Carlo DeMaria looks on. bust fire suppression capabilities – essential for managing vessel fires and other emergency calls for service. The fire boat was funded via the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) program specific to the Boston metropolitan area. UASI is a grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It aims to enhance regional preparedness and capabilities in major metropolitan areas to prevent, protect against, respond to and recover from acts of terrorism and other major disasters.
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