PHOTOS/VIDEO: Itโs been a long time coming, but the Destin Fire Control District got a new โbattle wagonโ on July 22. The battle wagon is a 52-foot fire boat, armed with two 1,500-gallon pumps, four 425 HP Yamahas, and top-notch technology. โItโs a federal asset,โ said Deputy Chief Mike Landis, noting the new boat is on the federal response list. โSo, if they need something, weโre there,โ Landis said. Not only is it a fire-fighting vessel, but itโs a โfull paramedic boat,โ Landis said. The boat, tagged M-19, has monitors and IV equipment for patients. โAnything you can think of, itโs got. Itโs a rolling ambulance,โ Landis said.
If a boat is 50 miles out in the Gulf and a passenger has a heart attack, they can get them off the boat and put them in a closed cabin, start IVs and main lines. โWe have the largest fleet in Florida, so, we have to have something to protect those people,โ he said. And the M-19 โwill get there, and it will get there fast,โ Landis said. The M-19 will be able to respond to house and condominium fires near the bay, harbor or Gulf. Landis said the new boat would have been perfect for the fire at Tailfins Waterfront Grill on Destin harbor last April. โIt has a big enough pump and strength to get water anywhere you want,โ Landis said.
