DRACUT — Chief Richard Patterson and the Dracut Fire Department would like to thank the Old Home Day Committee for funding the purchase of safety equipment, rescue equipment and waterproof portable radios to equip the department’s new Marine Units.

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Earlier this year, the Town of Dracut purchased two new rescue boats for the Fire Department — a 16-foot One Boat rescue craft with a 40-horsepower Mercury motor, and a 14-foot One Boat inflatable boat with a 25-horsepower Mercury motor.

 

The boats replace an old boat that suffered an engine failure, and an old ice rescue boat that suffered a cracked hull.

 

Marine 1, the larger 16-foot rescue craft, will be kept in Station 3 on Nashua Road, and used primarily for rescues and calls for service on Lake Mascuppic.

 

Marine 2, the 14-foot inflatable boat, will be kept in the Jones Avenue station, and used primarily for rescues and calls for service on the Merrimack River.

 

Grant funding did not include money to fully equip the boats, however, the Old Home Day Committee donated approximately $5,000 from the proceeds collected during last year’s Old Home Day to fund the purchase of all of the remaining equipment needed for the boats.

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The funds were used to purchase waterproof portable radios, throw lines for rescues, helmets and personal flotation devices.

 

“Dracut Old Home Day’s mantra is to give back to the community, and we were fortunate enough this year to raise enough money from our event to give back $31,000 to the community,” said Old Home Day Committee Vice Chairman Dave Paquin. “Part of the money we gave back was this grant for the Fire Department to buy all the equipment they needed to outfit these boats. Anything the chief needed that wasn’t included in the grant to buy the boats, we provided funds for.”

 

Old Home Day was established in 2001 in connection with the Town of Dracut’s tricentennial celebration, and has since raised well over $500,000 that was given back to the community. The event had just 18 booths when it was started in 2001, and last year featured 185 booths. 

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This year’s Old Home Day is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 9, in the yard at the Englesby Elementary School.

 

“We were fortunate to be able to replace our boat with two state-of-the-art rescue vessels,” said Chief Patterson. “The generosity of the Old Home Day Committee gave us the opportunity to equip both boats with new personal floatation devices, throw ropes and rescue equipment as well as communication equipment that we otherwise would not have been able to purchase. We can’t thank them enough.”