North Lenoir Fire & Rescue recently purchased a new rescue boat thanks to a grant from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation.

With the support of local Firehouse Subs restaurants and donations from patrons, the department applied for and was awarded a grant for a Zodiac inflatable rescue boat and trailer, valued at more than $28,000.

The addition of an inflatable rescue boat to the department’s fleet will allow rapid response to active water rescue incidents in the community, events that the department is all too familiar with. The county’s exposure to hurricanes and its location along the Neuse River make it prone to flash flooding and river flooding events.

North Lenoir Fire & Rescue is Surface Water Rescue certified by the North Carolina Association of Rescue and EMS. The department has been purchasing necessary loose equipment for several years and the new rescue boat provides the department with the final piece of equipment it needed to be an effective water rescue team in the community.

“Our area is no stranger to life-threatening flash flood and river flooding events,” said Chris Decker, North Lenoir Fire & Rescue Public Information Officer. “We want to be as prepared as possible to respond to these events and be in a position to provide exceptional water rescue capability for the citizens of our community,” he said.

North Lenoir Fire & Rescue Chief Brian Wade agreed, “Our department already had a RescueOne Connector flat bottom boat designed for diving and recovery operations. Adding this inflatable rescue boat allows us to better respond to swift water and flooding incidents in our district and other areas of the county,” he said.

The new rescue boat can be rapidly deployed from the trailer or be carried by personnel to the water, providing a fast response, lightweight and safe solution for urgent and critical life saving operations. North Lenoir Fire & Rescue has been training with the new equipment and working to place the new boat in service.

In 2005, the Firehouse Subs founders established the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation with the mission of providing funding, life-saving equipment and educational opportunities to first-responders and public safety organizations. Through the non-profit 501(c)(3), Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has granted more than $51 million to hometown heroes in 46 states, Puerto Rico and Canada.