Lake Assault Boats, a leading manufacturer of purpose-built and mission-specific fire and rescue boats, has one of its fire boats on duty with the Waconia Fire Department in Waconia, Minnesota. The custom-built craft, named GUARDIAN, was placed into service on Lake Waconia late last summer, and has already responded to several on-the-water emergencies.
“Our fireboat has responded to several calls, in a short period of time, and has met all of our expectations,” said Brandon Kolesar, assistant fire chief with the Waconia Fire Department in Waconia, Minn. “We’ve had weather related emergencies, a multi-agency missing person event that included hundreds of man-hours, and calls to assist people in small craft that needed help to get off the water; the Lake Assault boat handles the waves and rough water really well, so we’ve had no issues going out, securing them and getting them safely back to shore.”
During the purchase process, one of the department’s challenges was to forecast future on-the-water emergency response needs. The community anticipates the lake activity will continue to grow, especially with the proposed addition of new running paths, hiking trails, park buildings, and camping on Lake Waconia’s Coney Island.
The custom Lake Assault modified V-hull design features a landing craft style configuration with a hydraulically operated bow door and removable side railings to enable faster and more efficient rescue operations. The 21-foot boat is equipped with an extended T-top-style cabin with a roll-up security door for the helm station, a 250-hp Mercury Verado 4 stroke engine, a 500-gpm deck mounted fire pump and monitor, four remote controlled spotlights, a stokes carrier, and a Garmin 12-inch touchscreen with Chartplotter, GPS, maps, and sonar.
The boat, intended to be docked at one of the local marinas, is poised for a rapid response. “One of our biggest fears is a collision on the water with multiple injuries,” explained Kolesar. “It’s this possibility that requires the capabilities we have with the new fireboat. It’s the ultimate platform to work from, secure patients, and to allow us to navigate into shallower waters. We’ve received positive feedback from the Carver County Dive Team.”
“I didn’t believe we’d be able to afford a fire boat that could meet our needs and fit our budget,” said Kolesar. “One of our captains came across Lake Assault at a trade show and we discovered we could get something in our price range. We’ve been really pleased – and it’s certainly been an eye grabber in the community.”
ABOUT LAKE ASSAULT BOATS
Lake Assault Boat are born in a shipyard, designed for a mission, tested on Lake Superior, and custom engineered using technology and resources unmatched in the fire boat industry. Lake Assault offers a wide range of custom hull designs and configurations suitable for use on inland lakes and rivers, and intercoastal and offshore waters, to meet the needs of first responders. For more information visit www.lakeassault.com.
