New Fairfield firefighters getting a new rescue boat
Plan to donate old one to lake authority
NEW FAIRFIELD — It may be some time before it arrives, but the New Fairfield Volunteer Fire Department is getting a new Marine 1 rescue boat.
The Board of Selectmen recently approved the purchase of the $145,361 new boat — $106,250 of which will be paid for using town contributions to the fire department’s apparatus reserve fund.
Although it’s useful for getting on the lake and transporting personnel and equipment, Ball Pond Volunteer Fire Company 1st Lt. Chris Gardner said the current Marine 1 vessel — which was gifted to the police department before being donated to the fire department — has not been practical for rescue use.
Gardner the all-aluminum flat bottom boat the fire department is looking to buy will better serve the community.
Not only will it be more durable and better suited for Candlewood Lake, he said, but allow on-thewater medical attention to be provided while transporting patients back to land.
Considering New Fairfield responds to the most lake-related calls of all the Candlewood Lake towns, Gardner said it’s important to have a vessel that allows first responders to easily access and transport people in need of help.
In addition to water rescues, Gardner noted, Marine 1 is used to provide mutual aid to other towns and respond to illegal
burns, brush and structure fires in areas that are easier to access from the water.
Replacement of Marine 1 had been planned for a later date, but was moved up in the fire department’s apparatus purchase schedule after an agreement was made to donate the old Marine 1 boat to the Candlewood Lake Authority, Gardner said.
“In that agreement, we decided to move up the purchase of Marine 1 on our replacement schedule to purchase a boat that will fit our needs, as well as the lake a little bit better,” he said.
The purchase schedule is tied to the department’s apparatus reserved fund, to which the town regularly contributes and covers 85 percent of budgeted equipment costs.
Gardner said a committee spent a little over a year putting together specifications and handling the bidding process for the new boat.
Out of three companies, the committee decided to go with Connor Industries — also known as Stanley Boats — which came in with a base price bid of $123,489.
Options and upgrades like a larger motor, roll-up door, lighting and equipment
up-fitting and integrated equipment fabrication, as well as a $4,500 delivery fee and $5,000 needed to transport the vessel for inspections, brought the total price to nearly $145,361.
Gardner said if COVIDrelated supply chain problems hadn’t driven prices up 15 to 20 percent, the cost of the boat would have actually been on budget or pretty close to it.
Even though the price tag is more than the budgeted $125,000, Gardner said no additional money will be requested from the town.
With the town’s $106,250 contribution, the fire department will be responsible for 15 percent of the amount budgeted, plus a nearly $20,361 overage.
Like with the recently discussed new ambulance purchase, Gardner said the fire department will use its own funds to make up the difference.
Supply chain problems will also affect the amount of time before the town gets the boat. Right now, Gardner said the town is looking at a more-thanthree-year wait.
“They’re telling us 44 weeks from order,” he said. “Like with everything else, raw materials are hard to get.”