Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - On open water, the new Syracuse Fire Department's Rivercraft can travel at speeds of 40 to 50 miles per hour.
On ice, it can reach much higher speeds. Not that the Syracuse Fire Department will be reaching those speeds anytime soon, but they can in the event of an emergency.
The Rivercraft is an 18-foot, 810-pound boat with 120 horsepower and an aircraft engine, said fire chief Larry Hunter. It's fuel-injected and air-cooled.
On open water, it can run for an hour on six gallons of gas, said Brian Richcreek, SFD. It runs on high octane gas.
It can travel on almost anything - corn, water, ice, snow and grass. The only surfaces it can't travel on are gravel, cement or blacktop.
"We got it mainly for rescue," said Hunter. As large as Lake Wawasee is, Hunter said, the Rivercraft will come in very useful and save time.
The Rivercraft arrived Sunday. Monday, the fire department tested it out on the water, a couple of firemen at a time. Hunter said they will be training with the Rivercraft to get all the firemen familiar with it.
"It does maneuver pretty well," he said.
The fire department also plans to put a water pump on the craft that will be able to pump approximately 500 gallons per minute. The pump will help put out fires as needed.
The Rivercraft will be available to make rescues 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It has halogen light bulbs that can shine across the boat at night. Portable spotlights also will be equipped on the boat, Hunter said.
It will be stored at the fire department.
Made in New York by a young company, Hunter said, the Rivercraft "is really good for swift water," and he has been thinking of buying the Rivercraft for "at least a couple of years."
It can hold a capacity of six people, or three people when it's in rescue mode.
A safety feature on the Rivercraft will prevent the operator of the boat from being injured. While steering the Rivercraft, the operator must hold on to the throttle. If the operator lets go of the throttle for any reason, such as being thrown from the boat, the Rivercraft will automatically stop.
So the operator can hear the radio, and because of the loudness of the fan, Hunter said, everyone on the boat will have to wear ear "muffs." Richcreek said they will protect a person's ears up to 28 decibels.
Cost of the Rivercraft and the trailer was $28,000. The fire department also will install radios, lights and other equipment onto the Rivercraft. The boat itself, however, is ready to go.
Asked if he felt the cost was worth it, Hunter said, "You bet I feel it is.
"I think it's a real asset to our department, with the size of the lake we take care of."
