Nov. 14 -- Savannah Fire Rescue will no longer staff the hazard response boat docked along the Savannah River, following budget cuts that were made for the 2018 budget year, according to city officials.
In addition, the operation of the Engine 16 pumper truck out of the East Oglethorpe Avenue station will also be discontinued this week, although all 15 firefighters that manned the boat and truck will be shifted to other engines, said Ken Slats, Savannah's acting public information officer.
Another fire truck, Engine 3, will continue to operate out of the Oglethorpe station, which also serves as Savannah Fire's headquarters.
Slats said City Manager Rob Hernandez hopes to restore funding for the boat and pumper truck, but their fate will depend on the 2019 budget. Deliberations of next year's spending plan begin this week with a two-day workshop on Thursday and Friday.
Johnny Hinton, interim president of the Savannah Professional Firefighters Association, said the loss of the fire truck and boat will negatively impact fire department responses and his organization strongly opposes the city's plan.
"They are going to provide a lesser product to the residents of Savannah," Hinton said. "When you get rid of an engine company and the primary marine response it's pretty obvious things will change."
The truck and boat's phaseout comes after the Savannah City Council voted this summer to repeal a fire services fee in the face of widespread opposition. However, the city council had decided to cut off funding for the fire boat when the 2018 budget was adopted, with the fee intact, due to the boat's operating cost and infrequent use, said Alderman Julian Miller.
The boat was never used for a fire and other vessels can be used to provide the type of water rescues Marine One had provided in past incidents without the $500,000 operating cost, Miller said.
"It's a luxury I'm not sure we can afford at this point in time," he said.
The city had purchased the 50-foot boat, dubbed Marine One, for $1.6 million in 2014 using a $1.2 million federal Homeland Security grant, as well as city and private funding.
In addition to battling fires, city officials touted the boat for it's ability to respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive incidents along the river. The boat was used to rescue dozens of people from the river when a ferry boarding platform collapsed in 2016. Savannah Master Firefighter Michael Curry collapsed during the response and later died at Memorial University Medical Center from an aortic aneurysm.
Marine One will continue to receive basic service maintenance and will be available if needed, Slats said. In addition, both the U.S. Coast Guard and tug boats provide firefighting assets from the Savannah River, he said.
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