Power plant floats Benedict rescuers big donation

Chalk Point gives $20,000 for boat for department

Friday, Aug. 1, 2008

That evening, Tom Turk, plant manager at Mirant Chalk Point generating plant will present Rue Hill, chief of the department, a $20,000 check. The generous donation will go toward the purchase of a much-needed new fire and rescue boat, according to Misty Allen, a spokeswoman for Mirant.

When the Benedict department approached Chalk Point, the largest power plant in Maryland, for donations for its new fire and rescue boat, the business decided that it was in its best interest to donate. The Benedict VFDRS is one of the first emergency responders for the Chalk Point facility, Allen said, adding that Mirant sees the importance in addressing different needs that present themselves in the area. We ‘‘like to make sure we give back to the local community,” she said.

The Benedict department gets some money from Charles County, but the money the department receives is not enough to cover the costs of everything that is needed. Brian Cusick, vice president for the department, said that the current budget is lower than what is needed to put a new and improved boat in service.

The department does its part in trying to raise funds to cover costs, asking both residents and businesses within their coverage area for donations.

With the small area that the department protects, it is important to ‘‘hit the big businesses in the area,” Cusick said, which members hope will ensure the success of their fundraisers.

But the fire and rescue boat is expected to cost anywhere between $320,000 and $500,000. Currently, the department’s watercraft does not live up to the needs of the department, Cusick said.

‘‘Basically what we have is a fishing boat with a portable fire pump in the front,” he said.

The boat is not efficient and maintenance on the nearly 15-year-old craft has become a nightmare, he acknowledged. In reality, the current boat is not designed to be used in rescues, making the department’s job much more complicated during an emergency situation. The pump in the front of the boat impedes the rescuers’ efforts, but the new watercraft will have a pump underneath. The change will make it easier to respond to calls by giving emergency personnel more room to work with victims once they get them out of the water, Cusick said.

The new watercraft, which will potentially be available for use by the department in the next two years, will be bigger and safer for crew members. The boat that is currently used for rescues does not handle bad weather well, according to Cusick, and that can pose more danger to responders who are often called out to incidents that occur in bad weather.

According to an e-mail from Allen, ‘‘The purchase of this new boat will provide increased rescue and safety services along the Patuxent River and serve as a safety standby during events drawing large numbers of marine traffic.”