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Article: Workin' for a living Boston Whaler Guardian Fireboat.
- Article from:
- Trailer Boats
- Article date:
- March 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Ehlert Publishing Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The Special Operations Division of the Washington, D.C., Fire Department has two primary missions--waterborne fire fighting and river rescue. Yet, it is the river rescue part that consumes the bulk of its time. The waterborne first responder unit often works alongside D.C. police to prevent suicide attempts from the many bridges spanning the Potomac River between the capital and Virginia.
Last December, for example, on a bitter-cold, preholiday training exercise, a call came in of a potential jumper on the busy 14th Street Bridge. Fireboat No. 2--a 1993 26-foot Boston Whaler built for such duties--instantly responded to the incident, and helped avert the suicide. ...