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Board approves $600,000 FEMA port security grant for Solomons fire boat replacement
Summary
The board ratified acceptance of a $600,000 FEMA Port Security Grant plus $200,000 local match to replace Solomons Volunteer Rescue Squad & Fire Department’s Boat 3 with a 36-foot all‑hazards vessel equipped for CBRN detection and marine firefighting; commissioners asked about protective equipment, training and slip/lift costs.
The Board of County Commissioners voted Nov. 19 to accept a FY2024 Department of Homeland Security/FEMA Port Security Grant that provides $600,000 in federal funding and requires a $200,000 local match to replace Boat 3 operated by the Solomons Volunteer Rescue Squad and Fire Department.
Public Safety Director Dave McDowell (speaker 23) and grant writer Barbara Warner (speaker 15) told the board the grant reduces the county’s previously budgeted bond need and fully funds the replacement vessel and ancillary equipment identified in the grant exhibit. Warner said the award is a 75%/25% cost match and confirmed the grant does not cover a boat slip or lift, which Solomons estimates at roughly $50,000 and intends to pursue through other grants or local funding.
Commissioners pressed staff on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) capabilities and responder safety given nearby industrial facilities. Warner and public safety staff said the selected Seaburn detection equipment self-calibrates with an expected 15-year life and the vessel will carry SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) so responders can don protective masks if needed. Staff said more advanced cabin filtration systems were considered but were not cost-effective; vendor and Solomons leadership judged the chosen configuration appropriate for local waterways. Rick Hargrave, deputy chief of Solomons Volunteer Rescue Squad (speaker 26), told the board the 30-year-old vessel being replaced and praised the teamwork that secured the funding.
A motion to ratify the application, adopt the budget amendment BA 2025-000165 and authorize the board president to sign related documents was moved by a commissioner (speaker 19), seconded and approved by voice vote.
