Clark County, Ind., Uses Grant Money for Rescue Boat

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(TNS) – Duke Energy Foundation awarded the Clark County Emergency Management Agency a grant that was used to purchase a rescue boat.

All over Indiana, the foundation supported first responders with over $200,000 in grants.

This foundation aims to help the safety agencies increase their response capabilities during severe weather and other emergencies through advanced preparation, planning, equipment and training.

Clark County EMA received $2,750 to purchase a rescue boat that will be used for water-related rescues.

The rescue boat will be kept at Tri-Township Fire & Rescue but will be used throughout the county when there is a water emergency. If needed, it will assist other counties such as Floyd and Scott in an emergency.

“This boat increases capability and allows us to be prepared for any water emergencies,” said Gavan Hebner, Clark County EMA’s director. “We’ve got water emergencies that occur on rivers and ponds…when we looked inward to our swift-water and floodwater response, we’ve seen this boat had the capability to be utilized on the small areas that a large boat wouldn’t work.”

Its design allows the boat to be stored inside of a first responder vehicle uninflated. When it is needed, it can inflate and be deployed within four minutes.

There are many uses for the boat, but the main three uses are for static flood water, ice rescues and swift-water situations like flash flooding.

“It has holes on both ends of it,” said Amir Mousavi, Tri-Township’s fire chief. “Those holes are designed for us to get the boat on top of the victim and pull the victim straight up into the boat so they don’t have to come over the side.”

The design is one of the main reasons the EMA decided to go with this boat. It will allow first responders to go on ice, smaller areas that a larger boat cannot fit in and it is faster to deploy than other boats.

“We appreciate everything that our first responders do on the frontlines in responding to emergencies every day,” said Lisa Huber, government and community relations manager for Duke Energy. “The rescue boat is another tool they can use to help save lives in floodwaters or other emergency situations that arise.”

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