The U.S. government says South Whidbey Fire/EMS is in the clear after an audit for the $356,000 used to buy a new marine response vessel.

South Whidbey’s fire protection district used a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant to buy a 32-foot catamaran to use as a fire suppression and swift-response vehicle. Previously, the district did not have a dedicated way to fight fires from the water, though it did own a rigid dinghy for marine rescues.

The audit was required because of the amount of federal grants South Whidbey Fire/EMS received in a single year. Federal funding totaled $800,000, with half spent to improve the district’s dispatch radio system in a partnership with Camano Fire and Rescue.