By JACQUELINE DURETT
Correspondent
SAYREVILLE — First responders throughout the county will be able to perform more water rescues, thanks to the addition of six emergency rescue boats and the establishment of a new water-rescue team.
The new boats, which are equipped with motors, trailers and emergency accessories, were dedicated on June 29 at the Middlesex County Fire Academy in Sayreville.
Officials commended the 10 emergency responders from South Amboy, Middlesex, Highland Park and South River — the towns that are receiving the boats — and 15 members of Middlesex County’s Urban Search and Rescue, who together comprise the new Lightweight Boat Taskforce. Taskforce members are currently finishing up training in boat safety, water rescue awareness and water rescue operations.
That team, as well as county officials, were in attendance for the celebratory dedication. The six boats were on display, and each municipality’s team gathered around its new boat.
The total cost for all six boats and the equipment is $117,400, which includes lighting, anchors, life jackets, flotation devices and protective gear for rescuers, according to the Middlesex County Department of Public Safety & Health.
As part of the package purchase, the county also received a 12-foot-long inflatable boat and a 14-foot-long, flat-bottom rescue boat equipped with motors, trailers and other emergency accessories. The county will retain those boats.
Rev. Peter Hofstra of the First Presbyterian Church of Perth Amboy delivered the blessing at the event, which concluded with a traditional champagne smash.
At the event, Freeholder H. James Polos, chairman of the county’s Public Safety and Health Committee, explained to those in attendance that the towns chosen to receive the boats were chosen intentionally and strategically.
“The departments that were selected here were selected as a result of an analysis that we did at the county to determine where boats were needed, who had the least amount of boat capability, who had the most exposure to water, and for that reason these towns were selected,” he said.
The municipalities receiving the boats will be in charge of maintaining them and operating them during an emergency in their own town or elsewhere in the county.
Following the dedication, Middlesex Borough Council President Sean Kaplan said he was grateful that his town was able to receive an additional boat, as the town is prone to flooding.
“We end up with four different islands” when it floods, he said.
Kaplan also said Middlesex Borough’s location surrounded by Somerset County towns isolates it from the rest of Middlesex County, so this purchase will help Middlesex first responders conduct rescues on their own when possible.
Water rescues were especially important for many towns during Superstorm Sandy in 2012, and Polos said in a prepared statement about the boat purchase that those rescues prompted the county to make this purchase.
“During superstorm Sandy and various other water-related events, the county recognized a need for resources to specifically address these types of emergencies and rescue operations,” he said. “These new boats and equipment, along with the specialized water rescue training for our emergency personnel, strengthen our overall countywide emergency response.”
“It is our belief that by continuing to learn from past events, we become more proficient in responding to all future situations and have the resources, training and personnel necessary to protect our residents,” said Freeholder Director Ronald G. Rios in the statement. “Our residents’ safety is paramount, and we will continue to assess ways to protect them.”
