In a moment of panic, a familiar face can make all the difference.
That’s why those who find themselves in trouble on the water in Hopewell may soon be comforted to receive aid not only from their local fire and rescue crew, but from a craft conceived and constructed in their own neighborhood.
This summer, the Hopewell Bureau of Fire will begin patrolling the waters in a new rescue craft built by Nathan Grubb, owner and operator of local boat manufacturing company Battle Boats, which recently relocated to Randolph Street downtown from Petersburg. “The city of Hopewell came and found me,” Grubb said. It was with the Economic Development Authority’s aid that he was able to move out of his previous 9,000-square-foot workshop into his current space, which is roughly four times its size.
The new fire rescue, prevention and suppression boat will replace the bureau’s existing 19-year-old Boston Whaler -- and add more than a few bells and whistles customized to the exact needs of the force.