Report Finds Problems With D.C. Emergency Fireboat

The only rescue boat in the District of Columbia capable of responding to large-scale emergencies needs more than $700,000 in repairs, according to a new report.

The 50-year-old boat, the John H. Glenn Jr., has a broken communications system and its Coast Guard documentation is expired, the report said. Inspectors say the boat's radio can't transmit an automated distress call.

The report obtained by The Washington Examiner was commissioned by D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services in May. An earlier city inspector's report found the boat obsolete.

The boat's condition doesn't pose an immediate safety hazard, D.C. Fire and EMS Deputy Fire Chief for Homeland Security John Donnelly said. The reports indicate the boat can adequately handle its responsibilities.

The agency is gathering funding for repairs, Donnelly said.