The Tega Cay Fire Department christened Marine 2 at the Tega Cay Marina earlier today. The boat is an expansion of the Flat Water Program, a program designed to provide support for lake related incidents requiring fire and rescue assistance.
Chief Glyn Hasty, Mayor Chris Gray and City Manager Charlie Funderburk provided remarks for a crowd that included firefighters from the Charlotte Fire Department, Steele Creek Fire Department and Tega Cay Police Chief Joey Crosby among others.
The boat, formerly known as Marine 6, had been shelved for over 10 years due to multiple repairs needed in order to be operational. A rebuilt engine, fixed hull and fire suppression system had to be repaired with much of the work being done by Tega Cay fire fighters. Duke Energy also provided navigational and thermal imaging electronics equipment housed onboard by way of a grant.
When speaking to the crowd, Mayor Gray said, “Today is a special day for Tega Cay. We’ve got our boat for the PD (police department) in the water already and now we can add our fire boat Marine 2.” City Manager Charlie Funderburk added, “it will have a tremendous impact and lives will definitely be saved.”
Both the Charlotte and Steele Creek fire departments already have boats to service Lake Wylie. With Marine 2 now fully operational, Tega Cay can be added to the list of departments that can provide additional assistance on the lake when called upon.
