By Chris Rotolo
RED BANK – Once grounded in a Garden State thicket, abandoned in a field far away from any body of water, a vessel has been given new life by the borough fire department.
Eighteen months ago, Red Bank’s all volunteer fire department eyed a potential addition to its marine rescue and diving unit, identifying a decommissioned and gently used 26-foot SeaArk fireboat that had been rescued from a dry land location by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Forestry Services Division.
A significantly larger vessel than anything currently in the marine unit’s fleet – which includes an aging 20-foot boat, a rescue sled and two kayaks – Red Bank Fire Chief Nick Ferraro told The Two River Times that the SeaArk fireboat will provide improved patrol services and response times to calls on the nearby Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers, as well as operations beyond those local waterways.
“In addition to serving the Red Bank community and neighboring communities along our local riverways, our marine unit members are also part of the Monmouth County Marine Task Force, and at times are called to assist with fire suppression and underwater recovery operations along the Bayshore,” Ferraro said.
In the last five months, with warm weather recreational activities placed on the backburner, the marine unit has still been called to action, responding to boat fires along Red Bank’s various marinas, and patrolling the frigid tributaries as precautionary measures.
But Ferraro anticipates the marine unit will see increased service calls in the near future, as residents begin to emerge in full force from the grips of both winter and a global COVID-19 health crisis.
“There just seems to have been something about COVID that prompted people to purchase watercrafts of one kind or another. It’s understandable. Spending time out on a kayak or a Jet Ski or a boat; these are socially-distanced activities. Even the largest of these vehicles only hold a handful of people. Last spring and summer we observed a lot more people out on the water than in the past, and I imagine that trend will continue as we move through this pandemic,” Ferraro said.
The Red Bank chief noted his department is aware of another troubling trend that could keep the marine unit at the ready: an upsurge in severe weather-related events that have impacted coastal and riverfront communities over the last decade.
“We’ve seen a rise in significant storms for which our unit has been mobilized, and it’s not just for operations in our immediate area either,” Ferraro said. “Recently, following an impactful hurricane, our marine unit was contacted by (Monmouth County) to support communities in Middlesex County. You can’t predict the weather. But (the SeaArk fireboat) gives us another tool in our belt. We want to know we’re prepared for whatever situation may arise.”
As a completely volunteer squad, the Red Bank Fire Department relies on support, like from the NJDEP’s Forestry Services Division, to service its community and beyond. Ferraro also credited the efforts of his department members for their ability to extend the life of equipment and apparatus beyond expectancy.
“Our current boat, which is a 20-footer, predates my time in the department. Again, it was in gently used condition when we got it, and has been in commission for close to 20 years. Our members are very skilled and resourceful, and I can’t give them enough credit for the work they put in on our assets. They’ve been phenomenal with the upkeep,” Ferraro said. “We make sure to get the most out of our equipment.”
According to the chief, the department hopes to make targeted monetary investments in this new fireboat to replace the motor, controls, electrical system and fire pump, among other general repairs. The department has launched a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of $15,000; at the time of publication it fund was closing in on $2,000. Interested parties can learn more about the fundraiser by visiting redbankfire.org.
The article originally appeared in the March 3 – 9, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
