Smith Mountain Lake Volunteer Marine Fire & Rescue Upgrades Electronics on Three Fire Boats

Moneta, VA — Smith Mountain Lake Volunteer Marine Fire & Rescue has completed a major electronics upgrade on three of the department’s primary fire boats, improving the crew’s ability to navigate and operate safely while responding to emergencies across Smith Mountain Lake.

The department’s “triplets” — 11-5, 11-6, and 11-8 — have each received a new Garmin electronics package, replacing the original systems installed when the three boats were manufactured in 2009.

Technology has come a long way in the seventeen years since these boats were manufactured, and the new Garmin systems provide our crews with significantly more information and capability while operating on the lake.

The replacement project was no small task. Removing the original equipment, installing the new Garmin systems, and integrating the electronics with the boats’ existing systems took many hours of work. The project was completed by our own members, L. Ruffin and T. Graham, who dedicated their time and expertise to making the upgrades happen.

In addition to the new Garmin displays, new transducers were installed on all three boats, providing improved depth and sonar information.

The new systems provide much more than basic depth readings and navigation. The Garmin units are integrated with the boats ’current radar and night-vision systems, giving our crews enhanced situational awareness and the ability to see and navigate much more effectively during low-light and no-light responses.

All three Garmin systems also feature Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing the electronics’ software and charts to be kept current through a wireless internet connection. This helps ensure our crews have access to the latest available information and technology when they need it most.

Smith Mountain Lake is a large and challenging body of water, and having modern navigation, depth, radar, and night-vision capabilities is an important part of providing effective marine emergency response.

None of these improvements would be possible without the continued support of our community. We are extremely thankful to the residents, businesses, and supporters of Smith Mountain Lake who have donated to our department over the years. Those contributions have allowed us to invest in equipment and technology that provide our crews with some of the best capabilities available when responding to emergencies on the lake.

We are proud to put that community support to work — helping our volunteers get home safely while providing the best possible service to the people who live, work, and enjoy Smith Mountain Lake.