GREENE — The Greene Fire Department will purchase a new rescue boat this summer with a $35,000 grant from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation.

The department has a fishing boat on loan from the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office, however it isn’t ideal for rescues because of its high sides and low load capacity, Fire Chief John Soucy said.

In contrast, the RIBCRAFT 4.8 is an inflatable boat with a rigid hull designed specifically for aquatic rescues. At rest, the boat sits at water level, making it easier to pull people on board, he said.

The boat won’t only benefit residents in Greene, but also those in neighboring Leeds, Monmouth, Turner, Sabattus and Wales with whom the department has mutual aid agreements, Soucy said. Two of the departments have rescue boats, by his count.

“One department may not have manpower to get that piece of equipment rolling where the other one would,” Soucy said. “It’s shared resources. The more of us that have it, the better chance that we can be effective in a rescue.”

Or, if departments are contacted to assist with large-scale searches, it will be one more vessel equipped for the task, he said.

Between the six towns, there are usually one or two aquatic rescues each year, usually from boaters with engine problems in the evening, Soucy said.

In recent years, the department has also purchased an ice water rescue craft and a LUCAS device that aids with compressions during CPR.

Firehouse Subs is an American restaurant chain based in Jacksonville, Florida, founded by two former firefighters in 1994. The grant is part of $75 million disbursed to public safety organizations across the U.S., according to a news release.

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