Salisbury Christens New Fire and Rescue Boat

Salisbury, Md. (July 3, 2012) ─ Local officials and residents of Salisbury came out to show their excitement and support for the official christening of the M/V Michael J. McMullen fire and rescue boat at a ceremony on June 23 at the Port of Salisbury. With both fire and medical service capabilities, the 36-foot MetalCraft Marine, Inc. boat is ready to provide rapid response to boating accidents along the Wicomico and surrounding rivers.

“In all, the boat provides state of the art performance in fire, rescue, dive and emergency medical services,” said Fire Chief Richard A. Hoppes. “Among its many features, the boat has a stable platform to support dive rescue operations and can supply unlimited water at 2,500 gallons per minute.”

The vessel features:

• Twin diesel inboard engines that propel the boat to speeds of 40 knots and allow it to perform emergency stops and change direction within two boat lengths
• Radar, GPS, siren, emergency lights, and chart plotter with depth
• Heated patient care area with one primary, and two secondary patient resting/sleeping areas
• Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense options

The new fire and rescue vessel project, completed on May 1, was a joint venture. Funding came from a Federal Homeland Security grant for $896,055 and $50,000 in matching funds from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Waterway Improvement Fund. Revenue for the fund comes from the one-time 5 percent excise tax paid when a boat is purchased and titled in Maryland.

For information on boating safety, visit dnr.state.md.us/boating/safety/.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages nearly one-half million acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov