Fireboat

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London Fire Brigade fireboat, River Thames, London LFB fireboat.JPG
London Fire Brigade fireboat, River Thames, London
Toronto Fireboat WL Mackenzie WLMK Fireboat.JPG
Toronto Fireboat WL Mackenzie
Onboard view of Fireboat John J. Harvey in Tauba Auerbach dazzle camouflage performing a water pumping demonstration in Oyster Bay, New York with artificial rainbow visible Fireboat John J. Harvey at Oyster Bay NY Oyster Festival 2018.jpg
Onboard view of Fireboat John J. Harvey in Tauba Auerbach dazzle camouflage performing a water pumping demonstration in Oyster Bay, New York with artificial rainbow visible
Italian fireboat CLASS M Collision of Costa Concordia 21.jpg
Italian fireboat CLASS M
A fireboat of the fire department of Frankfurt, Germany Feuerloeschboot Frankfurt am Main.jpg
A fireboat of the fire department of Frankfurt, Germany
HKFS fireboat Excellence Excellence Fire Boat No.6.JPG
HKFS fireboat Excellence
San Francisco fireboat Phoenix SFFDFBPhoenix.jpg
San Francisco fireboat Phoenix
Deluge, retired fire fighting tug Deluge1.jpg
Deluge, retired fire fighting tug
Tokyo Fire Department's Ariake fireboat Fireboat Ariake.jpg
Tokyo Fire Department's Ariake fireboat
The Edward M. Cotter of Buffalo, New York, considered the world's oldest active fireboat Cotter2017.jpg
The Edward M. Cotter of Buffalo, New York, considered the world's oldest active fireboat

A fireboat or fire-float is a specialized watercraft with pumps and nozzles designed for fighting shoreline and shipboard fires. The first fireboats, dating to the late 18th century, were tugboats, retrofitted with firefighting equipment. [1] Older designs derived from tugboats and modern fireboats more closely resembling seafaring ships can both be found in service today. Some departments would give their multi-purpose craft the title of "fireboat" also.

Contents

They are frequently used for fighting fires on docks and shore side warehouses as they can directly attack fires in the supporting underpinnings of these structures. They also have an effectively unlimited supply of water available, pumping directly from below the hull. Fireboats can be used to assist shore-based firefighters when other water is in low supply or is unavailable, for example, due to earthquake breakage of water mains, as happened in San Francisco due to the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

Some modern fireboats are capable of pumping tens of thousands of gallons of water per minute. An example is Fire Boat #2 of the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Warner Lawrence , with the capability to pump up to 38,000 US gallons per minute (2.4 m3/s; 32,000 imp gal/min) and up to 400 feet (122 m) in the air.

Fireboats are most usually seen by the public when welcoming a fleet or historical ships with a display of their water moving capabilities, throwing large arcs of water in every direction.

Occasionally fireboats are used to carry firefighters, Emergency Medical Technicians, and a physician with their equipment to islands and other boats. Some may be used as icebreakers, like the Chicago Fire Department's Victor L. Schlaeger which can break 8 to 12 inch ice. [2] They may also carry divers or surface water rescue workers. Passengers from ships in danger can be also transferred to various kind of rescue boats. Rescue boats may be used also for oil and chemical destruction on rivers, lakes and seas. For example, the Helsinki Rescue Department in Helsinki, Finland has different types of boats for various kind of firefighting, rescue, and oil destruction tasks. [3]

Also hydrocopters, rigid-hulled inflatable boats, fanboats and even hovercraft and helicopters are used in fire, rescue and medical emergency situations.

Cities with fireboats are usually located on a large body of water with port facilities. Smaller fire departments lacking resources will use a rigid-hulled inflatable boat or borrow boats from local rescue agencies (EMS, Coast Guard, military).

History

The first recorded[ citation needed ] fire-float was built in 1765 for the Sun Fire Insurance Company in London. This was a manual pump in a small boat, rowed by its crew to the scene of the fire. A similar craft was built in Bristol by James Hillhouse for the Imperial Fire Insurance Office in the 1780s. All fire fighting in Bristol was carried out either by private insurance companies or the Docks Company until the formation of the Bristol Fire Brigade as a branch of the police in 1876. In New York City, a small boat with a hand-pump was used to fight marine fires as early as 1809. [4] By the middle of the nineteenth century, self-propelled steam-fire-floats were beginning to be introduced. The FDNY leased the salvage tug John Fuller as the city's first powered fireboat in 1866. [4] Prior to the "John Fuller", as early as the late 1700s, the FDNY used hand-pumpers mounted to barges and large rowboats. The first purpose built steam driven boats were introduced by Boston Fire Department (William F. Flanders) and FDNY (William F. Havenmeyer) in 1873 and 1875 respectively. The first European fireboat to appear in Bristol was the Fire Queen, built by Shand Mason & Co., London, in 1884 for service in the city docks. The 53 ft. (16.61 m.) long craft was equipped with a three-cylinder steam pump supplying two large hose reels; one of these was replaced with a monitor, or water cannon, in 1900. Fire Queen served until 1922.

List of famous fireboats

Departments with fireboats

DepartmentTotal # of boatsDetails
Abingdon (MD) Fire Company1
Albany (NY) Fire Department1
Alexandria (VA) Fire Department1
Annapolis (MD) Fire Department1
Anne Arundel County (MD) Fire Department3
Atlantic City (NJ) Fire Department2
Audubon (NJ) Fire Department1
Baltimore City Fire Department 3
Bayonne (NJ) Fire Department2
Bellingham (WA) Fire Department1
Bonita Springs (FL) Fire Department1
Boston Fire Department 2
Bowers (DE) Fire Company1
Bowleys Quarters (MD) Volunteer Fire Department4
Brevard County (FL) Fire Department1
Bridgeport (CT) Fire Department1
Broward County (FL) Sheriff's Office Fire Rescue1
Buffalo Fire Department 1
Camden (NJ) Fire Department1
Cape Coral (FL) Fire Department3
Carteret (NJ) Fire Department1
Charlotte Fire Department 1
Charlotte County (FL) Fire Department3
Chicago Fire Department 2
Cincinnati Fire Department 3
Clearwater (FL) Fire and Rescue Department1
Cleveland Fire Department1
Contra Costa County(CA) Fire Protection District1
Cranston (RI) Fire Department1
Daytona Beach (FL) Fire Department1
Detroit Fire Department 2
Duluth (MN) Fire Department1
Dunedin (FL) Fire Rescue1
East Providence (RI) Fire Department1
Elizabeth (NJ) Fire Department1
Edgewater (NJ) Fire Department1
Estero (FL) Fire Department1
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department 21 frontline, 1 reserve
Fairfield (CT) Fire Department\1
Fall River (MA) Fire Department1
Fort Lauderdale (FL) Fire Rescue3
Fort Myers (FL) Fire Department1
Greater Naples (FL) Fire Department2
General Fire Brigade of Guangdong 1
Georgina Fire and Rescue 1uses a York Regional Police patrol boat equipped with water nozzle
Haletown (TN) Fire Department1Refurbrished US Army Corps of Engineers Survey Boat, Cruiser 1 "The Blansett"
Harrisburg (PA) Bureau Of Fire1
Hartford (CT) Fire Department1
Hendersonville (TN) Fire Department1
Hillsborough County (FL) Fire Department2
Hoboken (NJ) Fire Department1
Hong Kong Fire Services/Hong Kong International Airport 128, and 4 support vessels (command, 2 diving units, speedboat)
Honolulu Fire Department 1
Iona-McGregor (FL) Fire Department1
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department 3
Jersey City (NJ) Fire Department2
Kearny (NJ) Fire Department1
Key West (FL) Fire Department1
Lake Ozark (MO) Fire Protection District2
Linden (NJ) Fire Department1
London Fire Brigade 2
Longboat Key (FL) Fire Department1
Los Angeles Fire Department 5
Macau International Airport Fire Services1
Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department 1
Marbury (MD) Fire Department1
Marco Island (FL) Fire Department1
Marseille Naval Fire Battalion 2
Massachusetts Port Authority 3 [11] with third delivered September 2011. [12] [13] [14]
Matlacha (FL) Fire Rescue1
Miami (FL) Fire Department4
Miami Beach (FL) Fire Rescue1
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department 2
Mid-County (MO) Fire Protection District2
Milwaukee (WI) Fire Department1
Nagasaki (Japan) Fire Department1
Narragansett (RI) Fire Department1
Nashville (TN) Fire Department1
Newark (NJ) Fire Department2
New Haven (CT) Fire Department1
New Orleans (LA) Fire Department1
New York City Fire Department (FDNY) 103, plus two reserve, two spare, as well as three smaller boats activated during the summer months
Newport News (VA) Fire Department1
Niceville (FL) Fire Department1
Norfolk (VA) Fire Department1
North Charleston (SC) Fire Department1
North Collier County (FL) Fire Department1
North Hudson (NJ) Regional Fire & Rescue2
North Point Edgemere (MD) Vol. Fire Department1
Norwalk (CT) Fire Department1
Osage Beach (MO) Fire Protection District1
Palm Beach County (FL) Fire Rescue1
Palm Harbor (FL) Fire Department1
Panama City (FL) Fire Department1
Pensacola (FL) Fire Department1
Perth Amboy (NJ) Fire Department1
Philadelphia Fire Department2
Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire1
Port Alberni Fire Department (BC)1
Port Canaveral (FL) Fire Department1
Port of Houston Authority Marine Fire Department3
Portland (ME) Fire Department1 [15] [16]
Portland (OR) Fire & Rescue2
Portsmouth (VA) Fire Department1
Poulsbo Fire Department (WA)/ Kitsap County Fire District #181
Prince George's County (MD) Fire/EMS Department1
Prince George's County (MD) Volunteer Fire Department2
Providence (RI) Fire Department1
Red Bank (NJ) Fire Department1
Rochester (NY) Fire Department1
San Bernardino County (CA) Fire Department4
San Francisco Fire Department 3
Safety Harbor (FL) Fire Department1
San Diego Fire Rescue Department6
Sandusky (OH)Fire Department1
Sanford (FL) Fire Department1
Sanibel Island (FL) Fire Department1
São Paulo (Brazil) Firefighting Corp.2
Scappoose (OR) Fire District1
Sea Isle City (NJ) Fire Department1
Seattle Fire Department31 reserve
Secaucus (NJ) Fire Department1
Seward (AK) Fire Department1
Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Management Department 01 on order [17]
Singapore Changi Airport Airport Emergency Services Sea22 hovercraft used for marine rescue and firefighting
St. Louis Fire Department 4
South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service1
Stamford (CT) Fire Department1
Susquehanna Hose Company of Havre de Grace (MD)1
Syracuse (NY) Fire Department1
Tacoma (WA) Fire Department2
Tampa (FL) Fire/Rescue Department4
Tarrytown (NY) Fire Department1
Toronto Fire Services 32nd boat is a light utility boat and third built fitted to replace current utility boat. See Fireboats of Toronto.
Tinicum (PA) Fire Department1
Tokyo Fire Department 10 [18]
Trenton (NJ) Fire Department1
Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services 5
Virginia Beach Fire Department 1
Warwick (RI) Fire Department1
Washington (D.C.) Fire Department3
Westville (NJ) Fire Department1
Wilmington (DE) Fire Department1
Wilmington (NC) Fire Department1
Woodbridge (NJ) Fire Department1
Yonkers (NY) Fire Department1

Government and military with fireboats

Japan Coast Guard patrol boat with water cannons discharging Japan Coast Guard PC23.jpg
Japan Coast Guard patrol boat with water cannons discharging

See also

Related Research Articles

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<i>John J. Harvey</i> Retired New York City fireboat

John J. Harvey is a fireboat formerly of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) in New York City, famed for returning to service following the September 11, 2001 attacks. She is one of the most powerful fireboats ever built, capable of pumping up to 18,000 gallons of water a minute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Fire Department</span> Provides fire and emergency medical services to the City and County of San Francisco, California.

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<i>Edward M. Cotter</i> (fireboat) Fireboat for the Buffalo Fire Department

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<i>Fire Fighter</i> (fireboat) New York City fireboat

Fire Fighter is a fireboat which served the New York City Fire Department from 1938 through 2010, serving with Marine Companies 1, 8 and 9 during her career. The most powerful diesel-electric fireboat in terms of pumping capacity when built in 1938, Fire Fighter fought more than 50 major fires during her career, including fires aboard the SS Normandie in 1942 and the SS El Estero in 1943, the 1973 collision of the Esso Brussels and SS Sea Witch, and the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

<i>John D. McKean</i> (fireboat)

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<i>Phoenix</i> (fireboat) Fireboat owned by State of California

Phoenix is a fireboat owned by State of California and operated by the city of San Francisco in the San Francisco Bay since 1955. Phoenix is known for helping to save Marina District buildings from further destruction by fire following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Her worthy assistance resulted in a second vintage fireboat obtained for the city. Both Guardian and Phoenix are based at Firehouse No. 35 at Pier 22½ of the Port of San Francisco. Phoenix often leads parades of ships, and takes part in welcoming ceremonies.

As a major port a number of fireboats of San Francisco have been operated by the city of San Francisco since 1878.

Because water transport is an important industry on the rivers of the Mississippi River system, there are a number of fireboats on the Mississippi River system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fireboats of San Diego</span>

Fireboats in San Diego have been operated on San Diego Bay by the city of San Diego, California since the early 20th century, as well as by the Port of San Diego since its creation as a quasi-governmental agency serving the entire Bay in 1962.

The Deanna Jo is a small fireboat operated by the Alameda Fire Department. The city was able to acquire the vessel with the help of matching grants from the United States Department of Homeland Security, which required the city to only pay one quarter of the vessels capital cost. The Department has been providing Port Security grants since 2002, to provide vessels that, in addition to fighting fires, and rescuing boaters and swimmers, are equipped to counter biological and chemical weapons.

The Fire Department of New York operated the fireboat Smoke II from 1958 to 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fireboats of Duluth</span>

During the early 20th century, large and powerful fireboats were operated in Duluth, Minnesota. In 1920 both the Duluth, Mesaba & Northern Railway Company and the Duluth & Iron Range Railway Company operated fireboats in Duluth, the William A. McGonacle and the Halle.

<i>St. Francis</i> (fireboat) Fireboat operated by the San Francisco Fire Department

St. Francis is a fireboat operated by the San Francisco Fire Department on San Francisco Bay since 2016. Also known as Fireboat 3, she was given the official name on October 17, 2016, the anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Local schoolchildren helped pick the vessel's name.

<i>Kevin C. Kane</i>

The Kevin C. Kane was formerly an FDNY fireboat and is currently being refitted as a long-haul tugboat. She was built by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding in Somerset, Massachusetts, and delivered on December 8, 1992. She participated in two high-profile events: responding to al Qaeda's attack on the World Trade Center, on September 11, 2001; and the rescue of passengers from US Airways Flight 1549, the airliner that landed on the Hudson River in January 2009. She was auctioned off after she incurred damage during Hurricane Sandy. The vessel was named after a firefighter who lost his life in the line of duty.

Marine One is a $1.5 million fireboat, retired as a cost saving measure, by Savannah, Georgia, in November, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fireboats in Singapore</span>

As a major port, there is a long history of fireboats in Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maritime response following the September 11 attacks</span> Boats evacuated victims, pumped water to firefighters

Following the September 11 attacks in New York City, many people were unable to leave Lower Manhattan due to the closure of bridges and tunnels and mass transportation. Within minutes of the first plane hitting the first tower, multiple fireboats from the New York City Fire Department rushed to the scene. The United States Coast Guard coordinated a large convoy of merchant ships, tugboats, and ferries to evacuate the stranded and injured victims.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Governor Irwin (fireboat)</span>

The Governor Irwin was a fireboat operated in San Francisco, California from 1878 to 1909. She was steam powered. She participated in the recovery after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. She was owned by the State of California, she could only pump a modest 1000 gallons per minute.

The Alfred E. Ronaldson was a fireboat operated briefly by the Fire Department of New York City in 1994. The boat was named after a firefighter who lost his life in the line of duty.

References

  1. ↑ James Delgado (1988). "Duwamish Fireboat: National Historic Landmark Study". National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2009-05-05.
  2. ↑ "The Schlaeger". Chicago Fire Department. 2008. Archived from the original on 2021-04-27. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  3. ↑ "Pelastuslaitos". Helsingin kaupunki.
  4. 1 2 3 "Fireboats: Then and Now" (PDF). fireboat.org. 2003. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  5. ↑ "Boatyard Ruins – Photographs by Shaun O'Boyle". Oboylephoto.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-11. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
  6. ↑ "San Francisco Fire Department Museum ~ Fireboats ~ Governor Irwin". Guardiansofthecity.org. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
  7. ↑ "San Francisco Fire Department 1906 Earthquake and Fire Operations". Sfmuseum.org. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
  8. ↑ ":::: Bay Crossings ::::". Archived from the original on 2006-08-25.
  9. 1 2 "Navy Firefighting Operations". Sfmuseum.org. 1906-04-30. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
  10. ↑ "USFS Chicago 1906 Fire Operations". Sfmuseum.org. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
  11. ↑ "Massport Boston Boat". Capecodfd.com. 2011-11-23. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
  12. ↑ CA. "Meteghan company building fireboat – Fisheries – The Vanguard". Thevanguard.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-03-25. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
  13. ↑ "5.3 Million Dollar Massport Airport Fireboat Ready to Launch – CNN iReport". Ireport.cnn.com. 2011-09-06. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
  14. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2011-09-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ↑ "A.F.Theriault". A.F.Theriault. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
  16. ↑ CA. "Shipyard builds fireboat for Portland – Manufacturing". Nova News Now. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
  17. ↑ "Firefighters to get uncapsizable boat" (in Korean). Koreaherald.com. 2011-01-05. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
  18. ↑ |消防装備
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