NASBLA Expands Patrol Edition Vessel Offering

Press Release -- The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) Enforcement & Training Committee voted to expand its Patrol Edition Boat Program to include additional models by Brunswick Commercial and Government Products (BCGP). 

Designed by law enforcement for law enforcement, the NASBLA Patrol Edition vessels are selected by the committee to meet the demands of maritime first responders and boating safety officers. 

Originally launched at last year's annual NASBLA conference in Bar Harbor, Maine, the first vessel in the program was a 21-foot Boston Whaler Guardian model, which was delivered to the Maine Department of Marine Resources, Bureau of Marine Patrol. Due to the popularity of the program, the committee decided to include BCGP's 850 and 750 IMPACT RHIBs to accommodate agencies that wanted to operate larger boats off-shore with more horsepower, suitable for multiple crew operations. 

"The committee was tasked with selecting vessels and options that would best fit the needs of the men and women in the field. The 21-foot Guardian, with select options, fit the bill for the single operator. Expanding the NASBLA Edition fleet with the 750 and 850 IMPACT models, with select options, provide the soft collar, off-shore performance for the multi-mission professionals on the water," said John Fetterman, NASBLA deputy executive director.

The 7.5- and 8.5-meter IMPACT RHIBs are widely used in law enforcement and first responder environments because of their maneuverability, speed and inflatable collars, according to BCGP, who added, the NASBLA edition vessels capitalize on those strengths by combining the most widely used law enforcement options employed on the proven IMPACT platform. Now available with a range of collar options, the 850 and 750 IMPACT models can accommodate a traditional air-filled collar, a hybrid air/foam-filled collar or a hard sided D-Collar with a solid fiberglass gunnel.

The NASBLA Patrol Edition Boston Whaler 21-foot Guardian is intended for near-shore and inland waterways, specifically aimed to meet the needs of law enforcement and emergency rescue personnel. Equipped with a 250hp or 300hp outboard engine and many industry-standard features customized for the law enforcement professionals.

"The 750 and 850 IMPACTS will be a great addition to the Patrol Edition Boat Program, said Jim Brown, BCGP regional sales manager and former State Boating Law Administrator. "We have invested a lot of time and effort into customizing a solution for public safety professionals, which resulted in the new D-Collar variant. The NASBLA Edition 750 and 850 IMPACT's are highly maneuverable, durable, high-performance vessels that have been equipped with everything you need to get the job done safely."