A new rescue boat for Magog firefighters
The Magog fire department has a new water rescue boat that will allow them to increase their intervention capabilities on Lake Memphremagog.
"We now have the ideal boat model to allow us to make safer and further interventions on Lake Memphremagog," said Serge Collins, Acting Director of Fire Safety. The boat can accommodate up to six people during rescues.
The 19-foot, inflatable boat with a semi-rigid aluminum shell offers more work space for firefighters and its stability ensures increased safety, especially when climatic conditions are difficult. "In the event of a storm, if a person is in distress, nothing should stop us now," says Collins. "This new equipment will enable us to navigate in larger waves without risk to the people on board on Lake Memphremagog. Our speed will also be increased since the boat can reach a speed of 55 km / h." Collins cites a dozen or so interventions per year on the lake.
The vessel has, among other features, a depth sounder, a lighting system and a rotary searchlight for night operations, a radio communication system, and two motors. Firefighters will also have a rescue basket to assist a person in distress in the water. They will also have the basic equipment necessary to provide first aid to patients until they can be transferred by ambulance. This includes an integrated worktable to ensure patient stability and a backboard.
The boat is also equipped with an integrated pump with permanent piping and a barrel at the front to intervene if a fire develops on a boat. It would also allow firefighters to have a water supply for a building fire located on the shores of Lake Memphremagog with restricted access.
In an effort to reduce the time required to intervene, the boat will be housed on the Magog River on a boat elevator. The zodiac-type craft, already in the possession of the Fire Department, will be used to carry out operations on the other bodies of water in the region.