The Portage Port Authority voted unanimously Thursday to buy an inflatable boat for the fire department’s water rescue team, reversing a decision last week that would have left the department temporarily beached.

The 14-foot inflatable boat will serve as a temporary substitute for the fire department’s 13-year-old, 24-foot fire rescue boat, which is now being retrofitted courtesy of a U.S. Coast Guard grant.

“This boat just won’t be taking the place of Marine 1 until it gets back,” Deputy Fire Chief Jeremy Himan told the Port Authority. The $8,445 inflatable boat will be able to go places the larger boat can’t.

The inflatable boat can go farther south on Burns Waterway and into shallower areas. It can also be deployed onto other lakes and streams. That includes Dombey Lake, a large lake just south of I-94 surrounded by a big campground. It would have been useful for some rescue operations there, said Todd Laux, a diver with the water rescue team who wrote the port security grant application for the larger boat’s retrofit.“There will be some areas where we might have to carry it,” even though it will be transported to the scene by trailer, Himan said. That’s why the boat’s weight was a factor in deciding which option to get.

The $8,845 inflatable boat is made of Hypalon fabric, which should hold up better than PVC, Marina Director Barb Lusko said.

The boat also will stand up to the harsh weather here, Laux said.

The Port Authority had asked about a used boat to save money, but there are a few issues with that, Laux said. It’s hard to find used rescue-related boats, especially ones that are still in good shape. “The fire department holds onto its equipment until the last stitch is going out,” Himan said.

Rescue boats can take a beating, and a used boat doesn’t come with a warranty.

The 24-foot Marine 1 is being retrofitted with new engines and some other work under the terms of the Coast Guard grant. “There were a couple of damaged spots on the hull that have to be specially welded,” Laux said, so the boat isn’t expected before June.

The Port Authority wanted to make sure boaters would have protection before that boat is returned.

The fire department didn’t have money for the inflatable boat, so the Port Authority tapped its marina improvements and capital expenses budgets. “We can split it, take half out of each,” Lusko told the board.

From 2020 to 2024, the water rescue team had 141 calls for emergencies on water, 95 for swimmers and 46 for boaters, Himan said.

Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.