Fire department needs new boat
It’s only a matter of time before disaster strikes on Okanagan Lake if the Penticton Fire Department isn’t able to raise the funds necessary to purchase a new rescue boat, says chief Larry Watkinson.
As a result, he’s getting set to go cap in hand to local service clubs, businesses and even Summerland council to drum up the last $70,000 he needs to buy the $180,000 vessel.
“This boat is going to be able to handle any condition out there — the worst conditions — and have enough capacity to put multiple patients in and get them back safety,” said Watkinson.
“I just don’t want to put our firefighters in a boat that doesn’t meet the needs of this lake.”
For decades, the department had just one 17-foot Zodiac at its disposal to service both Skaha and Okanagan lakes.
Built in 1977, the craft has suffered multiple hull failures over the years due to rough conditions and is now past its expiration date. It’s also slow to respond.
“We’d get a call, have to hook up the boat and trailer, drive it to the launch, get people out of the way at the launch, and then get out onto the lake. So what we were seeing was delays of 20 to 25 minutes,” said Watkinson.
With that in mind, he said he was challenged by council when he was hired last year to make the marine rescue program more efficient.
His first move was buying two personal watercraft for exclusive use on Skaha Lake that are capable of running up the Okanagan River channel.
The second part of his plan is purchasing a 24-foot, double-hull aluminum boat that will be moored permanently in Okanagan Lake, where the department performs approximately 15 marine rescues annually, ranging from overturned canoes to cars in the water.
The new vessel will feature a rescue platform off the stern, plus jet propulsion, which will ensure rescue targets aren’t injured by a propeller and will allow the boat to operate in shallow water.
Watkinson said he has $110,000 in reserves and had a commitment from a local service club for the balance, but that cash fell through. And with the City of Penticton staring down a $175-million infrastructure deficit, he’d rather not ask for more from taxpayers.
“I don’t doubt that if I went to city council and pleaded my case that they would probably fund the boat, but I feel that there are other ways to get to this,” he said.
Watkinson needs to raise the cash by the end of February at the latest to get the boat ordered and in service for the summer ahead.
His first stop for the money was the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, which last month rejected his request when some directors from outlying areas balked at paying for a Penticton-based boat.
Mayor Andrew Jakubeit said in a statement he appreciates the “innovative way” Watkinson “tackles problems, and how he can re-evaluate his budget or the circumstances to find a solution.”
“Hopefully between his fundraising campaign, contributions from the neighboring areas, and the community coming together we will be able to have the rescue boat operational and on the water this season.”
If all else fails, Jakubeit said, council will have to consider the rescue boat among other priorities during budget deliberations later this month.