New fireboat engine costs $42,000

Published 3:53 pm Friday, October 2, 2015

A sea-trial of a replacement engine for South Whidbey Fire/EMS’s one-year-old fireboat will occur next week, according to Assistant Chief Paul Busch.

The total price tag to replace the starboard engine, which failed on June 25 during a regular training exercise, came in at $42,000. The district’s insurance company, Enduris, will pick up the bulk of the costs.

“We’re just hoping the other one was a fluke,” said Busch, of the broken engine.

The replacement engine was acquired last week and is currently being installed at North Island Marine in Anacortes. Busch said that company is waiting for the heat exhaust temperature gauges, which will indicate if there are any problems with the newly acquired engine.

North Island Marine will sea-trial the engine on Oct. 8, while South Whidbey Fire/EMS hopes to sea-trial it on Oct. 22.