Published: November 30, 2007 09:54 am      

New rescue boat obtained for Gainesville Fire-Rescue

After the rain the sun shines.

And the sun has recently shone brightly for Gainesville Fire-Rescue after a local group composed of business and industry officials joined together to provide and equip a new water rescue boat.

The boat, a Zodiac Futura, will be a greatly needed tool for firefighters encountering floodwaters such as those experienced on June 18, 2007, according to a press release.

The boat was provided through Weber Aircraft, L.P., whose parent company is Zodiac. Working with Weber officials, former Gainesville Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Malcom Foster researched and found the optimum boat for water rescue needs was the Zodiac. A call was then made to Weber Aircraft to determine if any assistance could be given in obtaining the boat. The information was relayed to John Walterscheid, vice president and general manager of Weber Aircraft who immediately began the process of obtaining the boat.

Working with Adri Ruiter, President of Weber Aircraft, the two contacted officials with Zodiac and explained the need. The response from Zodiac was an overwhelming answer of “yes.” Zodiac Marine Division provided the Rescue Boat at factory cost to Weber Aircraft for the donation to the Fire Department.

Hearing the story about the boat and the lack of equipment, Joe Odell, president of Plano Machine, and Giles Walterscheid, president of Superior Tooling Products, immediately stepped in and began working on obtaining funding for a motor and related equipment for the boat.

Their efforts paid off immediately with offers of assistance and funds from others in the community. Together, they were able to acquire sufficient funds to cover the costs of the controls and additional equipment for the boat.

One of the first contacts Odell and Walterscheid made was to Joe Wallace, president of North Texas Marine. Wallace quickly offered his company’s services to complete the installation of equipment on the boat. At the same time, Wallace began calling representatives from Suzuki Boat Motors inquiring about the possibility of obtaining a boat motor. Officials from Suzuki responded with an offer to provide the motor at half the cost.

According to Gainesville Fire-Rescue Chief Steve Boone, the boat would add a new dimension to the department’s capabilities.

“We will have immediately available a rescue boat equipped to undertake rescues in swift water,” Boone said. “The process has already started for training our personnel in the use of the new boat and re-developing our swift water rescue team. Gainesville Fire-Rescue cannot begin to express their gratitude to Zodiac, Weber Aircraft, North Texas Marine, Plano Machine and Superior Tooling Products and Suzuki Boat Motors for what they have accomplished for the citizens of Gainesville.”

The boat is to be housed at GainesvilleFire-Rescue Station No. 1. When training on the new equipment is completed and the team established, the unit and team would be available for response, not only in the city but to all areas of Cooke County and the surrounding region.