BET Committee Endorses $600K Federal Grant for Patrol Boat

The acceptance of a $600,000 federal Department of Homeland Security grant to purchase of multi-faceted patrol boat passed another hurdle Tuesday night.

The Board of Estimate and Taxation Budget Committee voted 4-0 to accept the money and purchase an all-hazard patrol boat which would be capable of detecting chemical, biologicial, radiological, nuclear and explosive materiels, as well as give Greenwich its first opportunity for on-the-water firefighting capabilities. Police and fire officials have been working with Greenwich Emergency Management Director Daniel Warzoha to secure the grant.

The town is one of a half-dozen in Connecticut to be chosen for the program that is designed to supplement the services previously provided by the United States Coast Guard. The city of Norwalk and the town of Fairfield have received similar grants to protect their harbors and coastline. Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Coast Guard has been concentrating its efforts in  more international ports, leaving patrols of regional territories such as Long Island Sound to local municipalities.

To help fill those gaps of protection, the federal Homeland Security department has approved the town's application for a $600,000 grant to purchase what is described as a 37-foot aluminum-hulled public safety vessels with jet-driven twin diesel engines. The boat also would allow responders to beach the boat on the town’s islands and 33 miles of coastline rather than tie up to a dock.

Budget Committee Chairman Michael Mason said the town should embrace the federal grant and move forward with the purchase of the 37-foot boat.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently designated Long Island Sound as an international border because of the growing boat and barge traffic along the Sound, increased visits by national and international dignitaries, and the continued rerouting of air traffic patterns away from New York City to Fairfield County airspace.

Several police and fire officials, including Police Chief David Ridberg, Fire Chief Peter Siecenski, Warzoha and First Selectman Peter Tesei attended the meeting in support of the grant approval request.

The 12-member BET expected to approve the measure at its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Town Hall.

If approved, the request will be put up for a vote at the September meeting of the Representative Town Meeting.