MARINE UNIT
Who we are and What we do.
Marine Division is part of the Eddystone Fire Department. Consists of specially trained members of the department. Training includes, PA state water rescue, Navigation, Rules of the road, Boat handling, Towing, Damage control, Fire fighting, Salvage, Search and recovery. Non-contact and contact water rescue, along with rapid and white water rescue.
We operate a total of five boats. Our 20 ft. Hovercraft, (the only one in the area), can operate on water or land. It is ideally suited for shallow water, sand bars and mud flats. The marine division responds to approximately 75 calls annually, ranging from vessels out of gas to seriously injured boaters. The majority of our calls originate from the U.S. Coast Guard in Philadelphia and are called into Delaware County Emergency Dispatch Center, who in turn dispatches the call to us.
We cover the Delaware River and its many tributaries from Philadelphia to Wilmington Delaware, which is about 25 miles of water. We assist other local marine units when requested and they do likewise. The boats are stationed at the PECO energy Eddystone generating plant at the mouth of Crum Creek and the Delaware. PECO supplies dockage and electric. We do stand-by service when Boeing has test landings of the Chinook helicopters in the river by the plant.
MARINE UNIT IS STILL, AS ALWAYS, OPERATIONAL.
46 ft Fire Rescue Boat (SOLD)
Marine 12 (Sold due to age and condition)
All steel, twin Detroit Diesels, 25tons, 42in draft, 350gal fuel, 23mph speed. 1800gpm pumping capacity, 2 deluge nozzles, 7 handlines. PA State Certified Marine QRS service (first in the state). Can carry 4 stretcher patients inside cabin Communications: multiple radios for Fire, Marine, Coast Guard, Navigation etc. 24 Mile radar for adverse weather navigation. Video depth sounder can "see" underwater.
20 ft ACV (air cushion vessel) Hovercraft
Marine 12A ( aka Hvr 12 / PPV 12 )
Speed 40mph, 6 passengers or 1000lbs. Can travel over any fairly flat surface, water, ice, mud, sand, grass, etc. Also QRS certified. Vessel is powered by a Nisson 6 cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine driving tandem hydraulicpumps. This vessel is unique as while on hover it can move forward, backward, left and right.
