CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi Fire Department is expanding their resources with the addition of a new rescue boat.
CCFD Cpt. David Zarate said that because of Station 1’s proximity to the Bayfront, having a rescue boat will help bolster their efficiency when it comes to water rescues.
“In our area we do a lot of boat responses in our area, being that we’re in this downtown area in the marina,” he said.
The boat has a price mark of around $80,000 and comes with a slew of new features.
“It has a large deck that allows us to rescue multiple individuals that might be stranded at the marina or in the bay or wherever the case may be,” said the CCFD official.
According to Zarate, the boat's most noticeable selling point is that it provides an increase in accessibility.
“It’s a 24-foot aluminum boat that will help us get into the bay while at the same time allowing us to get into the flats,” he said.
Zarate said that the new boat is larger than the previous ones received by the department, meaning they can help a larger number of people when the need arises.
CCFD Fire Chief Brandon Wade said it was important for the department to make sure it was just as prepared on water as it is on land.
“Emergencies that are occurring on land base, they're not moving. You think of a car wreck, it's generally not moving,” he said. “So, when you have incidents on the water, there is a reflex time, from either getting to the boat, or putting the boat in the water, or towing the boat, putting it in the water, and getting it out there.”
Wade said that he also had many conversations with his team to get on the same page.
“Talking to the firefighters that respond to water-based incidents, we didn't have that, and we have a big water area for us,” he said.
Wade told 3NEWS that while the department does not respond to water related calls daily, that the need is still there to ensure they have the resources available.