The Police News
November 20, 2009

JAMAICA BEACH, TX - The Village of Jamaica Beach on West Galveston Island, may be small but it's requirements for police, fire and rescue personnel and equipment is significantly larger than the typical town of it's size.  That is due largely to tourist traffic that travels to or through the village each summer.  And because of its central location near the center of the western half of the island, Jamaica Beach becomes the staging area in cases of disaster such as Hurricane Ike in 2008 when first responders from throughout the nation were headquartered here.

  As an important part of it's rescue and fire fighting fleet Jamaica Beach recently acquired in new 17' Zodiac boat equipped for both rescue, recovery and for fighting fires while afloat.  With its maze of canals, the boat's ability to pump water from the canal onto a canal side house fire ads a higher degree of fire fighting capability to its fleet of fire fighting equipment.

The new watercraft is powered by a 75 horsepower, outboard engine and is equipped with a rescue sled and a compartment for the transport of a drowning or victim of a water related tragedy.

A grant from the federal government provided fund for the acquisition of the new boat.

Pictured with the new vessel is Fire Chief Steve Spicer (L) and Assistant Fire Chief Troy Beasley