The Louisville Fire Department has a new tool that leaders believe will keep the waterways safer than ever before.On Thursday WLKY got a first look at LFD’s newest rescue boat, during one of the training sessions for one of the three crews that will be manning it. “There’s not a vessel close to this within the port,” said Louisville major Jonathon Jones. “The next closest one is probably Cincinnati, Covington area.”The boat was, in part, paid for with the federal port security grant, and it arrived at the LFD port last week.Jones was the one who filled out the application in 2019 after their previous frontline rescue boat was damaged in a storm in the summer of 2018.”Since that boat was damaged we’ve been using our 1976 coast guard cutter as our frontline boat,” said Jones. “It has the same motors that was in it from when it was in the coast guard, so you’re looking at an almost 50-year-old boat that’s been in service for the last five years now.”So it’s safe to say, this new vessel is much needed. Jones said the difference between this one and the one that was damaged is that this one is state of the art.The boat comes with four water turrets that can be manned manually or electronically. All four can shoot 1,500 gallons of water per minute. To put that into perspective, the 1976 cutter’s hoses shoot out 150 gallons per minute.”It’s like taking your garden hose and putting your thumb over top of it, that’s what 150 gallons feels like,” said Jones. “You can get a nice little stream out, but now think of this boat as opening up a fire hydrant, that’s the pressure of 1,500 gallons.”Jones went on to say this boat will not only put out fires quicker, but it will also help save lives. For the first time ever rescue crews will have access to a thermal camera. Previously, when conducting a water rescue, they would have to use flashlights and dive teams. Now they can locate a human or any other living object so long as their body temperature is hotter than the water’s.”You’ll also see this boat for Thunder Over Louisville,” said Jones. “We have always been out for that, but now we have a true vessel that can be used for those type of situations.”It should be noted the boat is not yet ready for full operations. The three crews are still training on it, and they’ll continue to train on it for the next few weeks. Nevertheless, Jones said they expect to have the boat fully ready by the end of the year.
The Louisville Fire Department has a new tool that leaders believe will keep the waterways safer than ever before.
On Thursday WLKY got a first look at LFD’s newest rescue boat, during one of the training sessions for one of the three crews that will be manning it.
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“There’s not a vessel close to this within the port,” said Louisville major Jonathon Jones. “The next closest one is probably Cincinnati, Covington [KY] area.”
The boat was, in part, paid for with the federal port security grant, and it arrived at the LFD port last week.
Jones was the one who filled out the application in 2019 after their previous frontline rescue boat was damaged in a storm in the summer of 2018.
“Since that boat was damaged we’ve been using our 1976 coast guard cutter as our frontline boat,” said Jones. “It has the same motors that was in it from when it was in the coast guard, so you’re looking at an almost 50-year-old boat that’s been in service for the last five years now.”
So it’s safe to say, this new vessel is much needed. Jones said the difference between this one and the one that was damaged is that this one is state of the art.
The boat comes with four water turrets that can be manned manually or electronically. All four can shoot 1,500 gallons of water per minute. To put that into perspective, the 1976 cutter’s hoses shoot out 150 gallons per minute.
“It’s like taking your garden hose and putting your thumb over top of it, that’s what 150 gallons feels like,” said Jones. “You can get a nice little stream out, but now think of this boat as opening up a fire hydrant, that’s the pressure of 1,500 gallons.”
Jones went on to say this boat will not only put out fires quicker, but it will also help save lives.
For the first time ever rescue crews will have access to a thermal camera. Previously, when conducting a water rescue, they would have to use flashlights and dive teams. Now they can locate a human or any other living object so long as their body temperature is hotter than the water’s.
“You’ll also see this boat for Thunder Over Louisville,” said Jones. “We have always been out for that, but now we have a true vessel that can be used for those type of situations.”
It should be noted the boat is not yet ready for full operations.
The three crews are still training on it, and they’ll continue to train on it for the next few weeks.
Nevertheless, Jones said they expect to have the boat fully ready by the end of the year.