Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rescue Airboat Purchase topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
East Grand Rapids approves purchase of Diamondback rescue airboat after public-safety briefing
Summary
The City Commission authorized purchase of a new Diamondback rescue airboat and optional trailer after the public safety chief described safety and performance problems with the department's 2003 airboat; the motion passed by voice vote.
The East Grand Rapids City Commission authorized the purchase of a new rescue airboat from Diamondback Airboats for $101,433 with an option to buy a heavy-duty single-axle trailer for an additional $9,475, following a presentation by the public safety chief on performance and safety limitations of the department’s current airboat.
"We have currently operated our rescue airboat since 02/2003," the chief told the commission, describing longstanding concerns with vessel stability, lack of flotation, limited deck space that prevents safe patient care, and insufficient mechanisms to lift unconscious patients on board. He said the current hull is designed for shallow marsh conditions and becomes unstable in deeper water such as parts of Reeds Lake.
The chief and staff reviewed alternatives and said they tested Diamondback’s redesigned, wider hull and found it substantially more stable. Features highlighted included an 8-foot-deck for patient care, added flotation under the deck, a raised bow with a grass-rake deflector to reduce water over the bow, a mechanized bow lift to bring unconscious patients aboard, and an ice/sea "brake" to decelerate more quickly. The chief said a sales representative indicated a potential market for the existing boat in Florida and estimated a sale value of about $40,000.
Commissioners asked about trade-in or sale logistics, whether the purchase was budgeted and how often the existing airboat is used for rescues; the chief said the department would pursue sale options in Florida and that financing was addressed in the budget process. The commission approved the purchase by voice vote; the meeting record shows the motion carried after all members present indicated "yes." No roll-call vote with individual recorded tallies was read into the record.
Next steps: staff will finalize the purchase, coordinate logistics for disposal or sale of the existing boat, and work through training and operational details for the new vessel.
