BLAWNOX: Amid the murky waters of the Allegheny River surrounding Sycamore Island, the top of a sunken barge is camouflaged by moss and overgrown foliage. The growth makes it seem an extension of the mile-long island, which runs parallel to the shores of Blawnox and attracts boaters like a jungle playground. 'What bothers me is that kids play there,' said Blawnox Fire Chief George McBriar. 'People tie up to the moorings for the weekend. Someone may end up at the bottom of it.' In that instance, McBriar's crew would be ready to respond. The department recently purchased a $4,000 river rescue boat to complement its pontoon boat, which it has used for six years. What the 10-foot boat lacks in luxury, it makes up for in speed, the top priority when sirens sound. In minutes, McBriar and his 10-man crew can zip along the Allegheny River from Sharpsburg to Harmar, to assist with fires and possible drownings. 'The new boat gets us there first,' McBriar said. 'We can assess what's going on.' It makes Blawnox the only volunteer fire department in the Lower Valley with quick-response river rescue capability. Fortunately, it is a service that has not been in demand. But in the six years since the department purchased the pontoon, the boat has proved to be valuable. Two years ago, the Blawnox crew assisted when a boat caught fire at the Fox Chapel Yacht Club. Last year, the department was called to assist the City of Piassist the City of Pittsburgh on a distress call, looking for a wayward boater who lost control under the 62nd Street Bridge. McBriar also has lent a hand to his colleagues up-river. He hauled his crew to Tarentum to help with a police investigation, where divers searched for a gun in the river under the Tarentum bridge. Eddie Benaglio, river rescue captain, said the new speed boat allows Blawnox to offer a more complete service. 'We can get more into it,' said Benaglio, trained in river rescue six years. 'We can be more active.' A Blawnox resident donates dock space to the fire department, saving it about $1,000 a year. With the pontoon, Blawnox offered a center of operation for trained divers. It is equipped with a marine radio, grappling hooks, pumps and a generator with enough power 'to light up the whole river,' McBriar said. Two hoses can siphon water from the river and shoot it 50 yards in the event of a fire along the river. Recent upgrades to the pontoon cost $2,000. It has only one drawback: no speed. That's what makes the new boat even more of a feather in the fire department's cap. They now have the speed and the gear. And, they are inviting volunteer firefighters from around the Lower Valley to get involved. In the next month, Benaglio will offer a boater's safety course, which outlines Coast Guard regulations, a requirement for McBriar's 28-member group. A second, more intense workshop on river rescue will also be offered. Benaglio said he's already gotten calls from interested volunteers in other towns. Jason Tuite, an 18-year old junior fireman, wasted no time before diving into duties with the rescue team. 'It's fun,' said Tuite, a senior at Fox Chapel Area High School. 'It makes us special. We can help all the areas around here like no one else.'

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