Fire department’s new boat enchances response capabilities

By Stuart Hedstrom

Staff Writer

BOWERBANK — With much of the community located on the north shore of Sebec Lake, and a section of town on another side of the lake, the Bowerbank Fire Department has been working to raise funds for the purchase of a boat that can be used to fight fires from the water. The department’s efforts and a grant from the Plum Creek Foundation have resulted in the acquisition of an 18-foot pontoon boat, which has been equipped with several pieces of gear contributed by the Piscataquis County Emergency Management Agency (EMA).

 Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

NEW BOAT FOR BOWERBANK FIRE DEPARTMENT — The Bowerbank Fire Department now has a rescue boat to use when responding to calls on Sebec Lake, with the craft costs covered by department fundraisers and a grant from the Plum Creek Foundation with the Piscataquis County Emergency Management Agency donating several accompanying pieces of equipment. Pictured are, from left, Bill Savage County EMA Director Tom Capraro, Bowerbank Fire Chief Rodney Preble, Plum Creek Northern Hardwoods Region Community Affairs Manager Mark Doty, Chris Smith, Ken Clark and County EMA Planner Fred Muehl.

“There’s a lot of possibilities with it,” Bowerbank Fire Chief Rodney Preble said on Oct. 28 with the boat and trailer on display outside of the fire station. “It’s a 40-minute run there and now we can be across the lake much quicker than that,” he said about reaching the portion of town located next to Dover-Foxcroft.

“They can be hooked on and in the water in five minutes, the boat landing’s right down there,” Eunice Preble, wife of the fire chief, said. “Really it is a fire and rescue boat because we have a lot of property that is non-accessible by vehicle.”

According to the project description, the pontoon boat accommodates a fixed 500-gallon per minute water pump on board to be used at a fire scene along the shoreland. The pump lines can be used to attack the blaze directly or fill responding fire trucks. The craft can be used for structure or forest fires to provide a needed water supply, and has a ramp on the bow to lower to the shoreline for off loading hose, equipment and personnel.

Chief Preble said the cost of the boat and trailer is about $15,300, purchased from Tim Merrill & Co. of Dover-Foxcroft. “It’s kind of a work in progress, our next goal is to get a hard top cover,” he said.

“No taxpayer money is in this,” Eunice Preble said. She explained the fire department has been holding auctions, yard sales and food sales to help collect funds for the boat.

The Plum Creek Foundation gave a $3,000 grant to the Bowerbank Fire Department to go toward the boat purchase. Plum Creek Community Affairs Manager, for the Northern Hardwood Region, Mark Doty said the foundation grants are awarded by a local committee.

The Piscataquis County EMA donated a radio and floating stokes basket for the boat. County EMA Director Tom Capraro, who was joined on Oct. 28 by County EMA Planner Fred Muehl, described the floating stokes basket as a stretcher for use in the water.

The Bowerbank Fire Department is part of the county’s fire mutual aid system. The department’s new boat can respond to shoreland mutual aid across Sebec Lake in Dover-Foxcroft, Guilford, Sebec and Willimantic. In addition to fires, Bowerbank responders can assist with medical emergencies on the lake such as injury from a boating accident.