The members of Lewes Fire Department are proud to announce that we have contracted with Moose Boats Inc. of Petaluma, California to build a top of the line 44’ Aluminum, Catamaran Boat. More than double the size of the current boat, the new Fire/Rescue boat features twin 600 HP diesel engines with Jet Drives to provide faster response times, safer rescue operations, better maneuverability, and access to even the shallowest areas of the coastline and canal. With a 750 gallon per minute firefighting pump, scene lights to facilitate nighttime operations, a large climate controlled cabin and room to carry two back-boarded patients, the new Lewes Fire Department fire/rescue boat will be capable of providing firefighting, search and rescue, and emergency medical services to the entire cape region in all types of weather. The new Fire/Rescue boat will be equipped with state-of-the-art electronics including a thermal imaging camera used to improve search and rescue operations and victim recovery, and an emergency beacon locating device used to locate emergency beacons when a boat or plane is in distress. As the largest Fire/Rescue Boat in the lower Delaware Bay Region, the new Lewes Fire/Rescue boat has been designed to meet the current and growing needs of the City of Lewes as well as those of neighboring coastal towns and cities.

For More Information: Contact Us

Lewes Fire Department is responsible for emergency response in the Delaware Bay, Lewes-Rehoboth Canal, Roosevelt Inlet, Broadkill River, smaller tributaries, 15 miles of coastline, approximately 25 square miles of the Delaware Bay and approximately 50 square miles of the Atlantic Ocean. Traveling these waterways are hundreds of recreational, and commercial boats, oil tankers, cargo ships and the Cape May – Lewes Ferry. During the summer season, as many as 100 boats per day use the public ramp facilities located in Lewes, and the Cape May – Lewes Ferry transports more than 100 vehicles and 1000 passengers every day.

Sponsorship Ranks Up to $100 - Fire Fighter I $101 to $500 - Fire Fighter II $501 to $1,000 - Lieutenant $1,001 to $5,000 - Captain $5,001 to $10,000 - Battalion Chief $10,001 to $50,000 - Assistant Chief $50,001 to $100,000 - Deputy Chief

Lewes Fire Department answers more than 600 emergency calls and 2600 medical calls every year. Dozens of those calls are for emergencies on the waters of the cape region. Dedicated men and women of Lewes Fire Department risk their lives every day to answer those calls using a small, aging, antiquated vessel. The new Lewes Fire/Rescue boat will ensure the safety of responding personnel as well as the boaters and citizens of the Lewes area, now and for many, many years into the future.

The members of Lewes Fire Department ask that you help us in our endeavor to purchase the most advanced Fire/Rescue boat in history. By helping us purchase the new boat you will be contributing to the safety of all the people that work, play, and travel on our local waters every day.

Donate Online Coming Soon!!!

Lewes Fire Department has been working hard to secure funding from federal, state, and local governments, but funds are limited. Please help us by making a tax-deductible donation to our “Build the Boat” campaign and know that you have made a difference in the safety of boaters in the lower Delaware Bay region.

There are many ways to help “Build the Boat”. You can make your tax-deductible donation and join our sponsorship “ranks” as listed above. Or you can “buy” us a piece of equipment. Either way you will know that your donation will go towards building the very best Fire/Rescue boat in the region that will undoubtedly save lives in the future.