Update on New Fire Boat 3 Production

The Solomons Volunteer Rescue Squad and Fire Department has been providing Fire Suppression and EMS services, and protecting the waterways of Solomons, Dowell, and Lusby for many years. In addition to serving our local communities, SVRSFD responds to calls for service within the Patuxent River, a large portion of the Chesapeake Bay stretching up to North Beach, over Tilghman Island, down south to Point Lookout, and even into the Potomac River, supporting our mutual aid partners and counties.

Our current Fire Boat is a 1995 Winninghoff and has proudly served our great community for over 30 years and is due for replacement. We are proud to announce the awarding and beginning phases of production on our new ‘Fire Boat 3’, built by MetalCraft Marine. This vessel will be an all-aluminum monohull, Interceptor 36’ model, built to ISO12215 Category B standards with a 12’8-1/2” beam, 45’5’ LOA, air draft 10’-1-¼" with mast down, and Draft of 29”. The vessel will have an enclosed wheelhouse that is environmentally controlled and operated by a crew of up to six members. This vessel will be capable of accommodating two fully back boarded patients, with additional seating for additional patients when needed.

This vessel will be outfitted with a Darley 1500 GPM fire suppression pump, and a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) detection system, forward and aft helm stations, bow thruster, 7.5 kW generator, Raymarine navigation suite, FLIR, and powered by Triple Mercury 400HP outboard engines with a 380-gal fuel cap.

Fire Boat 3 will be housed in Solomons with the continued support from the Pilots Association of Maryland. The funding was made in conjunction with Solomons VRSFD, community donations, Calvert County government and the awarding of a FEMA Port Security Grant Program. Construction started in early March 2026 and is expected to take delivery within 12 months. This process has been in development for nearly 5 years to provide the community and local waterways with a vessel capable of handling the call volume while ensuring crew safety during unpredictable weather conditions. Fire Boat 3 is intended to have a 30-year service life through proper care and maintenance.

I’d like to thank the Committee for their continued support and dedication to this process. Their tireless efforts in designing this vessel had one goal in mind…How to better serve our community.

The Committee includes: Chairman Clifton Buchanan (Life member), Co-chair Ryonn Taylor (Life member), Johnathan Dalrymple (Past Chief, Life member), Joe Ford (Past Chief, Life member), Thomas Moore (Past Chief, Life member) Bernie Shea (Past Chief, Past President, Life member), Richard Hargrave (Vice President, Life member), Terry Anderson (President) and Alejandro Velazquez (Chief).

I would like to thank the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners and House Delegate Todd Morgan for their continued support, and Barbara Warner from Calvert County Public Safety who was instrumental in helping the SVRSFD prepare the FEMA Port Security Grant.
Lastly, I would especially like to thank the citizens of our communities for their continued support and donations, this project would not have been possible without it and for that we continue to be Volunteers Proud to Serve!