The 2006 Pierce XT “has a 2,000-gallon a minute pump on it, a 95-foot platform on it, and a full complement of ladders,” said Pratte, detailing some of the features. It can act as a water pumper in case one goes down or is in use somewhere else.  

It’s not meant for every fire, but for larger structure fires in commercial or residential areas, for example. At 43 feet long and weighing 83,000 pounds, it's not meant for smaller roads.

The University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government found that the boat’s value as a “portable fire hydrant” and the vessel’s “extremely important” rescue capabilities are worth the expense.  

While there’s always a balance between risk management and costs of services, best practices call for a marine company to operate along the Savannah River, Paula Sanford told the Savannah City Council last week. She is a local government finance specialist who conducted the study.

“I would suggest that you work with the [Georgia Ports Authority] or any authority that receives the service for free, if they are tax exempt, to help pay for it,” Sanford said.

Livingston police were able to peacefully intervene between Walker & Juban Rd. after a tip led to the recovery of the tanker truck, which was originally spotted in the parking lot of a Walker retailer.  

LPSO confirmed a representative from the volunteer fire department has reclaimed the truck, which appeared to not suffer any damage.

The council members who sit on the public safety committee asked the department to provide them with data on its operations to help determine how best to allocate resources to improve response times, repair aging firehouses and vehicles, and provide proper overtime pay to employees. Councilman Brandon Scott demanded that Ford provide a detailed account of the conditions of all 38 fire stations across the city to avoid having to close any because of hazards, such as a decrepit roof that recently shuttered a firehouse on Reisterstown Road.