Lake Assault fireboat protects homes around Lake Tahoe

MARCH 28, 2018 – Superior, WI, based Lake Assault Boats has delivered a 32-foot fireboat, named Marine 24, to the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District (TDFPD) in Lake Tahoe, NV.

The custom-built craft is in service round the clock, all year, with marine firefighter training for all crews to be completed this spring.

The boat is designed to respond to a wide range of emergencies, including structural and wildland fires, and on-the-water rescue operations. It is funded, in part, by donations and fees collected for membership in an innovative fee-for-service program.

“We are thrilled to have this Lake Assault fireboat serve with the Tahoe Douglas FPD to help protect lives, property, and natural resources on one of our nation’s most revered bodies of water,” said Chad DuMars, Lake Assault Boats vice president of operations. “The craft’s powerful firefighting system enables the boat to function like a floating fire hydrant, and its rescue capabilities offer first responders the flexibility to respond to any emergency.”

An independent, third-party fire engineer reviewed strategies to address the area’s fire protection requirements, and supported the TDFPD Board of Trustees’ decision to approve the fireboat purchase.

“A comprehensive plan has been developed to aid firefighting in areas without a traditional fire suppression water supply,” explained Scott Baker, Fire Chief for TDFPD. “The new boat will give our firefighters access to a much larger water supply, and one that is pumped from the lake in a safe and ecological manner. This new capability will directly save lives, property, and our precious Lake Tahoe environment from catastrophic fire damage.”

“Homes today around Lake Tahoe are larger, built closer together, and are located further from the lake, while emergency access is hampered by narrow roads and limited turnarounds for responding fire trucks; that makes this fireboat an important new tool in our firefighting arsenal,” said Eric Guevin, Fire Marshal for TDFPD. “We learned about Lake Assault through a neighboring department, and had several opportunities to see its boat in action. We really needed this apparatus to meet the code requirements and provide fire protection to homes along the lake that are not yet connected to a municipal water system.”

The progressive V-hull, landing craft-style fireboat is outfitted with twin 350 hp Mercury Verado four-stroke outboard engines, and is equipped with Skyhook Digital Anchor and Joystick Piloting systems that significantly improve the craft’s on-the-water performance.

It features a 1,500 gal/min Darley pump (powered by a dedicated V-8 engine), a rooftop remote-controlled TFT Monsoon monitor, two deck monitors, and a large diameter hose discharge mounted in front of the pilothouse to supply land-based apparatus. The boat also has a 74-inch hydraulically operate bow door (with an integrated ladder), a port side dive door, and hose storage compartments.

The pilothouse is 11-feet long and 9.5-feet wide, with center position fore and aft doors, 80 inches of headroom, and an integrated helm station. Its onboard electronics include dual 12-inch touchscreens mounted on the dash, Garmin radar and sonar with GPS, chartplotting, structure / side scan, and a forward looking infrared (FLIR) system.

Lake Assault Boats is a subsidiary of Capstan Corporation, which is also the parent company of Fraser Shipyards.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District