After 36 years of service, a new Maritime Emergency Response Vessel is in the works with the help of a $750,000 allocation from Washington state.
Last week, South King Fire and Rescue announced the department received the final contract appropriating $750,000 from the 2020 Washington state operating budget to pay for a major portion of the new fire rescue boat. In the past, the department has applied for two federal funding grants in hopes of replacing the vessel, but was denied each time.
The new boat is a “night and day difference” from the current vessel, and includes updated satellite navigation equipment among other technological advancements, according to Assistant Chief of Special Operations Dave Mataftin, who said the boat is essentially “a floating fire engine.”
The grant, along with designated funds from the department’s 2021 budget, will be used to replace Marine 367 for a cost of nearly $1.3 million.