On Friday, September 13, the Service de sécurité incendie de la Ville de Rigaud team inaugurated its brand new rescue boat at the fire station, in the company of elected officials and municipal staff.

This boat will enable the team to continue its water rescue mission on the 27 km of water bodies to be protected, notably the Ottawa River, from the Carillon power station to the Town of Hudson, and the Rigaud River, but also to ensure the safety of people during evacuations that may be required in the event of major or sudden flooding.

It should be remembered that the department's previous boat was badly damaged when it capsized during a training session in 2023, with potentially serious consequences for the team members.

Custom-built by Desjardins Sport at a cost of just over $116,000 before tax, the Highfield Patrol 660 boat and its equipment meet the very specific criteria and needs of firefighters who have to provide assistance and first aid in unpredictable and sometimes chaotic environments and weather conditions on the Ottawa River and Lake of Two Mountains, while reducing the risks to responders.

In this context, to facilitate certain interventions, the Safety Department asked the supplier to custom-build an anchor with hinges to facilitate the installation of the floating backboard, a first in North America. What's more, the board is specially designed to allow X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging to pass through.

Once registered with the Canadian Coast Guard, it will come as no surprise that the Rigaud team responds to some 50 calls a year, considering the 4,000 locks originating from Carillon, as well as the number of boats of all types on these stretches of water from marinas, fishing centers and campgrounds at Trans-Canadien, Saint-André-d'Argenteuil, Pointe-Fortune, Pointe-aux-Anglais and Oka, and the Pointe-Séguin boat launch.

Firefighters are trained in water rescue and are required to maintain their skills on an annual basis. In the short term, all firefighters will be trained in accordance with the Quebec government's new 2024 reference framework.

Open house

Residents will have the pleasure of seeing the new boat and its features at the fire station's open house, to be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 12, in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week from October 6 to 12, 2024 and the Festival of Colors.