It's fire engine-red, equipped with state-of-the-art emergency communications devices and capable of carrying several patients in need of advanced life support.
And it floats.
Anne Arundel's newest piece of fire equipment -- thought to be one of the best-outfitted fireboats in Maryland -- will begin responding to emergencies along the county's 500-plus miles of shoreline this week.
Capt. Mike Greenhawk zipped across the Chesapeake Bay in the new boat Wednesday. Firefighters were putting finishing touches on the boat at Matapeake Terminal in Queen Anne's County before its public debut Tuesday.
With large windows on either side of a fully enclosed, air-conditioned interior and smooth handling -- with the occasional bounce -- the Lady Anne feels a lot like a Greyhound bus -- except that the boat's light-gray vinyl seats still have that fresh new-car smell.
"She's beautiful," said Greenhawk, who trained 24 firefighters to operate the boat. "And she's exactly what we wanted."
County firefighters are especially proud of the Lady Anne because they helped design the jet-driven vessel. The county footed $75,000 of the $460,000 bill for the boat. State grants covered the rest -- largely because the boat could be a prototype for other Maryland agencies looking into acquiring such an apparatus.
Three firefighters, one retired firefighter and a retired naval architect who volunteered his time pooled their knowledge to design what they believe is the perfect fireboat for Anne Arundel County.
"This was the greatest team we could have ever hoped to put together," said Howard Chatterton, the architect. He said he attended about 60 fireboat meetings last year.
The design team was elated when the boat arrived in February. But Maryland's record snowfall began the next day, so firefighters had to wait about a week before cleaning it up and putting it in the water. They spent the next eight weeks training on the boat.
Its size, about 15 tons and 43 feet from stern to bow, doesn't impede its maneuverability. The boat needs 3 feet of water in which to operate and can move sideways. Even better: It takes just 1 1/2 boat lengths to slow the vessel from 40 knots (46 mph) to a halt.
"This boat has an unbelievable amount of control," said Division Chief Stuart McNicol, head of special operations for the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. He was along for the ride to Matapeake and said he was eager to be trained to operate the boat.
