Photo courtesy of Jim Marshall

MARSHALL — Emergencies on the water don’t often happen in the city of Marshall. But it’s still crucial to be prepared when they do, local responders said.

This fall, the Marshall Department of Public Safety gained some new tools to help them stay prepared. The department announced that it purchased an inflatable rescue boat and other equipment with the help of an $11,000 grant from the Taylor Family Farms Foundation.

“This rescue boat will enhance our ability to conduct water rescues, improve public safety, and better serve our community during emergencies,” Marshall Police said in a social media post.

The Foundation’s gift was matched by local donors and the Marshall Fire Relief Association, Marshall Police said.

“We’re very excited for it,” Marshall Public Safety Director Jim Marshall said of the new equipment. Marshall firefighters have already done training exercises using the new boat on the ponds near the Minnesota Emergency Response and Industrial Training (MERIT) Center.

Marshall firefighters have already taken some training in ice rescues and cold water rescues, “So we have a framework there,” said Fire Chief Quentin Brunsvold. Being able to work with the new boat expanded on that framework.

The Taylor Family Farms Foundation, which was formed by former Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx owner Glen Taylor, works with three Minnesota nonprofits to support rural community organizations in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa.

The Taylor Family Farms Foundation works with the Mankato Area Foundation, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, and Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.

Marshall said the decision to apply for a grant for a rescue boat came about after a tragedy in Marshall. Four-year-old Alexander Bee drowned in the Redwood River in an accident in the spring of 2024.

“With any tragic events, we have a debriefing” including emergency responders, Marshall said. During the debriefing, he said, “We realized we didn’t really have any resources or apparatus to do a water rescue in the city.”

Brunsvold said that while it was unusual to have a water rescue incident in Marshall, it was still a possibility.

“We don’t have a lot of open bodies of water, but we do have a lot of retaining ponds,” as well as features like the ponds at Independence Park, he said.

Emergency responders might also need the use of a boat or water rescue equipment in floods, Brunsvold said.

While the Lyon County Sheriff’s Department has a boat, it’s not suited for use on a smaller body of water, Brunsvold said.

Marshall said the Public Safety Department and the Fire Relief Association decided to apply for a Taylor Family Farms grant.

“We thought if there was anything that would meet their criteria, it was an inflatable rescue boat,” he said. “And we had a very good response from our local donors.”

“It will be a good tool. It’s one of the things we’re glad we have now,” Brunsvold said.

The inflatable boat might not be able to work well on the river, but it could be deployed in a variety of situations, he said. The inflatable boat can hold seven people, and can also be deployed rapidly for an emergency.

In addition to the rescue boat, Marshall emergency responders also purchased safety equipment like life vests and an additional cold water suit with the help of the grant, Marshall and Brunsvold said.

Brunsvold said the new equipment will be stored with the Fire Department. The boat will be kept inflated and ready to use for most of the year, when there is open water in the area, he said.

“Hopefully, we never have to use it,” Marshall said of the new equipment.

But it was still good to be able to prepare for a situation where it would be needed, he said.