A new “state-of-the art” paramedic and police rescue boat has been added to a small fleet of vessels used by Pittsburgh’s River Rescue — equipped with new motors, air conditioning and improved lighting.
During an unveiling Wednesday outside the River Rescue boathouse behind PNC Park on the North Shore, emergency officials took the watercraft for a quick spin, with blue flashing lights atop its crown. The vehicle, adorned with an orange stripe across its center and the words “Pittsburgh River Rescue” etched on the side, is 34 feet long with an 11-foot beam, or width.
“The EMS divers go through almost 700 hours of training before they’re allowed to work on this unit, and this is just for water rescue,” said EMS Division Chief Richard Linn. “It’s actually going into service this Friday. We have a couple more people who need to finish their training. The other boat we have was built in 2006. They do not have names; we don’t do nicknames for the boats.”
Chief Linn said rescuers typically wear full dive gear to be prepared for emergency situations. Two police officers and two paramedic doctors typically ride in the boat during 12-hour shifts. There were 264 calls for service on the region’s rivers last year, officials said.
“We do almost daily patrols depending on the weather and river conditions,” Chief Linn said. “Today, the river’s running pretty fast and there is a lot of debris in it, so we don’t like putting the boat out on the water when there is a lot of debris in it for normal routine patrols, because the possibility of damaging the boat is high.
“On a nice hot summer day, we might have somebody who is distraught up on a bridge,” Chief Linn said. “We have to be prepared in case someone decides to go into the water, that’s why they keep the gear on.”
The new watercraft cost $550,000, according to Pittsburgh EMS Chief Ron Romano. He said the vehicle will provide 20 years of service in the division. In addition to the new boat, River Rescue owns two other boats, both SeaArks. The new boat was designed by the emergency officials who will use it, said Chief Romano.
Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said the new vehicle provides police officers and EMS officials the “best chance” at helping assist in emergencies on the three rivers.
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said the new craft has been equipped with “the latest technologies to respond to all emergencies.”
“Our three rivers are one of the defining assets of the City of Pittsburgh,” Mr. Peduto said in a statement. “We are proud of our River Rescue team that brings together experts from the EMS and Police bureaus to ensure safety on our rivers is a priority.”
Manufactured by Lake Assault in Superior, Wis., the new boat will become the primary rescue vessel for River Rescue.
It’s equipped with twin Yamaha outboard motors, as well as several enhanced features including increased fire-suppression capabilities, improved lighting, a windlass anchor, docking assist for intricate maneuvering and built-in sonar to provide more accurate search capability on the water, Public Safety officials said.
Inside the cabin, forward and backward-trained cameras allow the operator to be more aware of what is happening on the deck and around the boat while maintaining navigation on the water.
Additional key features include a bow gate, which can be lowered to allow for more accessible shoreline work, such as loading and unloading equipment or personnel, and built-in, improved FLIR (Forward-Looking Infrared) for full night vision. The boat’s catamaran hull also provides more stability on the water, officials said.
Lacretia Wimbley: lwimbley@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1510 or on Twitter @Wimbleyjourno.
First Published: May 12, 2021, 7:41 p.m.