The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Grant to bring in new rescue water craft
The Fairport Harbor Fire Department has a new rescue water craft thanks to a $14,500 grant.
The Fairport Harbor Fire Department has a new rescue water craft thanks to a grant.
The $14,500 grant — from a foundation that has asked to remain anonymous — are being used to replace the rescue water craft currently in use by the department to respond to emergencies on Lake Erie.
They are essentially personal water craft configured for search and rescue operations, according to a joint news release from the Fairport Harbor Fire Department and the Lake County Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority. They han- dle rough conditions better than larger boats and can be used more flexibly.
“We are the primary responder for incident on the water in Lake County, and we serve all those who recreate in the waters of Lake Erie off of Lake County,” Fairport Harbor Fire Captain Richard Rousch said in a statement.
T he department responded to 14 water-related incidents in 2015, 17 last year and 14 so far this year.
Rousch said with support of the village’s administration and council, the fire department reached out to the port authority to see if they knew of any programs they could take advantage of to replace the current rescue craft. The port authority worked with the department to identify a potential funder and develop a letter of inquiry to send requesting assistance.
“When the fire department reached out to us, we thought it would be prudent to work with them on this matter because with the various shoreline projects we are doing around the county and the concurrent rise in recreational activity on Lake Erie, it would be beneficial to everyone for the department to have the equipment it needs to carry out its mission as quickly and safely as possible,” Peter Zahirsky, the port authority’s director of coastal development, said in a statement.