Wallace Firefighters Buy a Rescue Boat

The Wallace Fire Department now has a water rescue boat. An increase in water rescue calls prompted the seaside department to move from discussion to action.

The Chair of the Boat Committee says, “The boat issue has come up multiple times, but in the last few weeks we had a number of calls and two of them were life and death.” Mike Jamieson said the time was right to make the purchase.

Wallace firefighters opted for a seventeen foot Zodiak with a 90 horse power outboard motor. The vessel will be delivered next week.

Jamieson says it is a smaller boat suited for the kind of calls they receive, and the shoreline of Wallace Bay. He said, “We respond to swimmers in distress or individuals who float out too far. We need to rapid deploy from a beach or a slip. Having a boat stationed in the water would not serve our needs well.”

Jamieson says the department has been raising funds for years through their annual pancake supper, golf tournament, and dances. He also credits the work and kindness of the Fireplace Thrift Store, and the department’s auxiliary.