Ocean Craft Marine Delivers Dual-Role 9.5-Meter RHIB to Hopewell Fire & EMS
October 13, 2026
One vessel for fire, rescue, and law enforcement will serve the City of Hopewell and the Maritime Incident Response Team for the Port of Virginia
Ocean Craft Marine has delivered a 9.5-meter (31 ft.) rigid hull inflatable boat to Hopewell Fire & EMS in Hopewell, Virginia.
The vessel serves a dual role: fire and rescue operations for the fire department, and patrol, boarding, and port security missions for the Hopewell Police Department.
The boat will also operate as a designated asset of the Maritime Incident Response Team (MIRT) for the Port of Virginia. It adds fire suppression, search and rescue, dive support, and waterborne law enforcement capability to the regional team that protects one of the largest commercial ports on the U.S. East Coast.
Built to OCM’s Fire/SAR configuration, the vessel answers one operational requirement: a single platform that can run a fire attack on one call and a law enforcement or security patrol on the next. It must do both in the currents, weather, and heavy commercial traffic of the James River.
“Fire and search and rescue is the primary mission of this boat, and that is where we started,”said David Haines, Sales Manager, Americas, Ocean Craft Marine. “From there, we built in what the crew needs to move into a law enforcement role at a moment’s notice.
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For the fire mission, a Darley HGE37V pump with through-hull intake feeds a Task Force Tips monitor. Deck tracks on the foredeck accept a portable pump, and dedicated storage holds 200 feet of 1.88-inch hose. Twin Yamaha F300 outboards (600 hp combined) with Helm Master EX joystick control and autopilot let the crew hold station precisely alongside a vessel or pier.
For law enforcement, the boat carries a Whelen siren and PA system with an integrated signal horn, a dual-mode red/blue LED light bar, and a remote-controlled ACR RCL-95 searchlight for night search and boarding operations.
Crews ride on Ullman Dynamics suspension seating under a heavy-duty aluminum T-top, with a hinged folding mast for trailering clearance. The 1670 dtex hybrid-foam tubes include a triple Sharks-Tooth rub strake and port and starboard dive notches for over-the-side recovery and dive operations.
OCM delivered the vessel turnkey, with COLREGS-compliant navigation lights, a full navigation and life safety outfit, 180 gallons of fuel in dual tanks with independent filtration, and a Float-On all-aluminum triple-axle trailer. With the trailer, Hopewell can launch at the point of incident, not only from its home berth.
After delivery, OCM will back the department directly from the factory, with technical support, parts, and maintenance guidance for the full operational life of the vessel.
About OCM
Ocean Craft Marine designs and builds mission-configured rigid hull inflatable boats for military, law enforcement, fire and rescue, and commercial operators worldwide. Headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, OCM delivers turnkey vessels built around each customer’s mission profile, from fire and SAR platforms to special operations and patrol craft. For more information, visit oceancraftmarine.com.
