Wading River F.D. Constructs Boat Lift to Cut Response Time

With another summer season, so brings another season of emergency responses in the Long Island Sound for the Wading River Fire Department. The local volunteer corps will be one step ahead of the game this summer, however, as this year marks the first that it will have its rescue vessel waiting for them on the water.

The department recently signed an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority and constructed a lift at the Shoreham power plant site to hold its boat. The move means that the department will be saving valuable minutes each time it's called to the waters, as the cumbersome process of hitching the boat at headquarters, driving it to the water, backing it down a ramp, and launching it is greatly minimized.

"This will split our time in half, and it's only going to get better," said Chief Jim Evans, adding that it can take over 15 minutes to get a boat on the water right now. While he didn't have a firm number, Evans estimated that the new launch comes at a cost of about $30,000.

"Considering every minute counts when someone is struggling in the water, this is huge for us," he said. 

Last Thursday's save in the Sound – which was aided by a Good Samaritan from Shoreham who happened to be fishing in a kayak nearby – marked the first time the department had launched from its new lift.

While the crew currently has to bring a generator along with them to power the lift which lowers the boat, constructing an enclosing is in the works, allowing the department to leave a generator on site, flip the switch, and get to someone in need even faster.