Page 29: of Marine News Magazine (January 2022)

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Feature

Police and Fire Boats

In 2021, Metal Shark introduced the 38 De? ant NXT aluminum monohull “Vermont State Police use our boats for everything from pilothouse model based on its 38 De? ant platform. The ? rst new vessel, dive operations to patrol work, to border enforcement to

Fire Boat 2, was delivered to Orange Beach Fire Rescue in Alabama. special security operations,” Velluto said, alluding to the boats’ versatility. “RIBCRAFT is currently building boats for the California Fish and Wildlife to support their patrol operations, be it standalone shore-based operations, basic enforcement duties or for some of their ? sheries enforce- ments and other enforcements where boats are used in tan- dem with some of their larger patrol craft.”

Silver Ships has also been busy, and Hunt said the build- er had more than 30 vessels either in production or deliv- ered for law enforcement and emergency services ranging from the local and state to the federal level in 2021. “In spite of supply chain issues, we have managed to maintain a steady pace of production and consistently seek to opti-

Metal Shark mize our integrated production schedule to accommodate

An Endeavor Series 30-foot all-hazards response boat built and delivered the uncertainties that have arisen in 2020 and 2021 while by Silver Ships to the League City Fire Department in League City, Texas.

continuing to deliver to our customers,” he said.

Hunt said building to the speci? c demands of each proj- ect has been crucial. “Critical to our process is the under- standing of each customer’s unique needs. Law enforce- ment and ? rst responders are not monolithic, so no single solution will provide a solution for all.”

Hunt added that Silver Ships has seen “a notable shift” from the retro? t and use of ? berglass recreational vessels in law enforcement to the acquisition of purpose-built alumi- num vessels. “Custom aluminum workboats offer depart- ments the ability to have a vessel tailored to their existing operational mission pro? le and TTPs instead of having to adapt their procedures to a vessel that is ultimately de-

Silver Ships signed for the recreational customer.”

Among Silver Ships’ recent notable deliveries, League City

A RIBCRAFT 6.5 (21’5”) used by the Louisa County Sheriff’s Department in Louisa, Va. for marine patrol and enforcement on Lake Anna.

Fire and Rescue near Houston took delivery of an Endeavor 30 multi-mission ? re and law enforcement vessel. “The ves- sel, designed to ful? ll the needs of both law enforcement and ? re/rescue was immediately put into service after rigorous training and was instrumental in supplying water to a land- based apparatus in response to a large condominium ? re within months of its in service date,” Hunt said. “Equipped with twin Suzuki propulsion and a Darley LSDE1000 direct mount ? re pump, the vessel is both fast and extremely capa- ble of ? owing large amounts of water. The enhanced Rayma- rine electronics package with both a FLIR and sidescan pro-

RIBCRAFT USA vide critical capabilities during search and rescue missions.” www.marinelink.com MN 29|