The City of Fort Walton Beach will show off two new vessels — a marine enforcement boat and a fire/rescue boat — at Liza Jackson Park this month.
- The city is hosting an unveiling at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the park’s boat ramp, located at 338 Miracle Strip Pkwy SW. The event will showcase vessels recently placed into service by both the Fort Walton Beach Police Department and the Fort Walton Beach Fire Department.
The Police Department’s new Patrol 23 marine enforcement vessel, built by Fluid Marine, measures 23 feet and runs on twin Yamaha 115-horsepower outboard engines. Its rigid hull with an inflatable collar is designed for stability and rapid response in varying conditions.
Officers will use the $134,000 boat — funded through half-cent sales surtax revenues — as the department’s primary law enforcement presence on the water. An additional $11,000 in specialized emergency response equipment came from the Law Enforcement Trust Fund through the seizure of criminal assets.
- The vessel will support emergency response, search and rescue operations, and joint dive operations with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. It will also be used to address derelict vessels, combat illegal pontoon boat rental activity and mitigate navigation hazards.
Fort Walton Beach encompasses approximately 11 miles of coastline across Santa Rosa Sound, Choctawhatchee Bay and multiple bayous. The Police Department’s marine jurisdiction extends one-half mile beyond city limits.
The Fire Department’s addition is larger: a 32-foot Explorer fire/rescue boat built by Mobile, Alabama-based Silver Ships. Twin Suzuki 300-horsepower outboard engines power the vessel, with Suzuki USA covering maintenance.
The boat features a bow door with a dive platform for search and rescue operations, a 1,000-gallon-per-minute onboard pump and large hose discharge system for water-based firefighting, and an enclosed cabin.
- A Department of Homeland Security grant covered 75% of the approximately $491,000 vessel, with half-cent infrastructure surtax funds paying the remaining 25%.
The Fire Department has also formed a dive team, with about a dozen firefighters now holding dive certifications.
Local businesses donated thousands of dollars’ worth of dive gear, marine safety equipment and accessories for the fire boat.
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Half a mill for a used fancy jon boat (used… look at the water line)… That and not needed fancy rehabs in Washington (White House, Kennedy center…) no wonder MAGA is finishing our economy and jobs)… Congrats MAGA