City of Boston purchased a new state of the art fireboat with Chemical, Biological, Radiological emergency response capability for the Boston Fire Department. This new vessel will replace the current fireboat “FIREFIGHTER” which has been in service since 1972 and does not have the capabilities need for a modern emergency response fireboat. “The new fireboat will greatly enhance public safety in the City and in Boston Harbor and I commend Commissioner Fraser and his staff for their hard work on this issue,” stated Mayor Thomas M Menino.
The City received two grants from the Department of Homeland Security for $2 million towards the construction of this vessel with the remaining $2.2 million funded by the city through the Fire Department’s capital plan.
The vessel’s name is the “JOHN S. DAMRELL” after the former Chief Engineer of the Boston Fire Department who battled Boston’s Great Fire of 1872 and who later became Boston’s first Inspector of Buildings during the 1880’s. Damrell was instrumental in bringing great improvements to the fire service as well as being instrumental in creating modern building codes at the national level.
The new vessel can hit whopping speeds of 36 knots with its 4 x IVECO’s C13 @ 825 HP per engine & Hamilton 364 water jets. Gearing for pumps and propulsion was from ZF gear of Germany.
Also impressive are the pump numbers…….it produces over 12,000 GPM at 150 PSI with Hale quad 8 FKF pumps. The main electronic monitor is a roof mounted Stang 5500 GPM w/400 (including a 300 gallon foam system) foot reach with 2 x Elkhart 2000 GPM & 2 x Elkhart 1250 GPM deck monitors.
Detection equipment has been installed to detect interior and exterior CBRNE agents; the bridge has a breathable air system which provides front line defense for the Port and City of Boston.
The camera/Flir system is by Ocean View and can be interfaced with any of the 5 x Furuno Monitors located in the bridge. The system has a split screen camera option which can uplink and be viewed from fire headquarters or an aircraft to aid in SAR missions. The datalink system accepts aircraft cameras as well as full radio frequencies. Ships electronics are Furuno NavNET 3-D system. Communications by Furuno, Motorola, ICOM & Piratecom. The wireless Piratecom can interface with up to 6 radios and cell phones. For perfect audio ability the system has wind and engine filters, so that in noisy environments the operators can communicate clearly. Hull structure is built to ABS & IACS standards.
Commissioner Roderick Fraser and his team are very excited about the new arrival, which was delivered mid-September from MCM Kingston, Ontario Canada via Lake Ontario, Lake Champlain and on to the Hudson River, out the Cape Canal ending in Boston.
Ten years ago, MetalCraft produced the first FireStorm and has not turned back. Each boat has its own unique, personalized flavor chosen by our customers. MetalCraft has been designing and building boats since 1987 and carries a GSA contract.
For more information please contact Bob Clark, Emily Roantree or Ian Dick at MetalCraft Marine Inc. 800.410.8464 or visit us at www.metalcraftmarine.com.
