By Karen Robes Meeks
The Port of Long Beach this week officially welcomed a second, new fireboat, Vigilance, in a ceremony dedicated to the late Long Beach Harbor Commissioner Dr. John Kashiwabara, the first Japanese American to serve on the board.
Vigilance, along with fireboat Protector, will be able to meet the needs of larger vessels now calling at the port.
“A capable fleet of fireboats that bring the best modern technology has to offer is essential in minimizing loss and maximizing business continuity for the port,” said Long Beach Fire Chief Mike DuRee. “These amazing vessels will help us better serve the Port of Long Beach.”
Each boat has 10 water cannons that pump out more than 41,000 gallons per minute (four times more than the older fireboats they replaced) and can shoot water as far as two football fields, and taller than a 20-story building, according to the port.
“These fireboats are technological marvels, able to turn on a dime, move sideways and throw water or foam anywhere on the world's largest container ships and oil tankers,” said Port Executive Director Mario Cordero. “They are vital to ensure the flow of commerce, and important parts of the best-in-nation services we provide our customers.”
Showing posts with label fireboat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fireboat. Show all posts
Friday, November 17, 2017
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
New SF Fireboat Delivered
By Mark Edward Nero
A new $11.8 million fireboat designed by Jensen Maritime Consultants of Seattle and built by Vigor Industrial of Portland, Oregon has been delivered to the San Francisco Fire Dept.
The vessel is scheduled to be christened in October, after it has undergone testing.
The state-of-the-art 88-foot vessel, which has not yet had a name chosen for it, had been under construction since October 2014. Construction of the new boat was delayed several times for various reasons; at one point, the electrical subcontractor company working on it went bankrupt.
The fireboat was finally delivered to the city of San Francisco in late July after a three-day journey from the Pacific Northwest, the San Francisco Examiner reported earlier this month.
The vessel, currently known as Fireboat 3, is capable of pumping 18,000 gallons per minute through five water cannons. She is equipped with a stern launch ramp, similar to those US Coast Guard cutters use to deploy pursuit boats to capture smugglers.
Other features of the new vessel include: an enhanced foam firefighting system for the suppression of petroleum-based fires; a patient treatment area for EMS response; radiation detection equipment; remote firefighting systems to prevent firefighters being exposed to heat and smoke; a rapid deployment rescue boat; advanced marine electronics; command center; and an on-board compressor for filling air bottles for firefighting and dive operations.
The SF Fire Dept. says it paid for the new boat mostly with a port security grant along with $400,000 from the Bay Area Urban Areas Security Initiative.
The SFFD also has two other fireboats, Guardian, which entered service in 1990, and Phoenix, which was commissioned in 1955. Although the city says it is still contemplating whether to keep all three fireboats, the Phoenix had previously been scheduled for decommissioning as a cost-saving measure. A christening for the vessel is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 17.
A new $11.8 million fireboat designed by Jensen Maritime Consultants of Seattle and built by Vigor Industrial of Portland, Oregon has been delivered to the San Francisco Fire Dept.
The vessel is scheduled to be christened in October, after it has undergone testing.
The state-of-the-art 88-foot vessel, which has not yet had a name chosen for it, had been under construction since October 2014. Construction of the new boat was delayed several times for various reasons; at one point, the electrical subcontractor company working on it went bankrupt.
The fireboat was finally delivered to the city of San Francisco in late July after a three-day journey from the Pacific Northwest, the San Francisco Examiner reported earlier this month.
The vessel, currently known as Fireboat 3, is capable of pumping 18,000 gallons per minute through five water cannons. She is equipped with a stern launch ramp, similar to those US Coast Guard cutters use to deploy pursuit boats to capture smugglers.
Other features of the new vessel include: an enhanced foam firefighting system for the suppression of petroleum-based fires; a patient treatment area for EMS response; radiation detection equipment; remote firefighting systems to prevent firefighters being exposed to heat and smoke; a rapid deployment rescue boat; advanced marine electronics; command center; and an on-board compressor for filling air bottles for firefighting and dive operations.
The SF Fire Dept. says it paid for the new boat mostly with a port security grant along with $400,000 from the Bay Area Urban Areas Security Initiative.
The SFFD also has two other fireboats, Guardian, which entered service in 1990, and Phoenix, which was commissioned in 1955. Although the city says it is still contemplating whether to keep all three fireboats, the Phoenix had previously been scheduled for decommissioning as a cost-saving measure. A christening for the vessel is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 17.
Friday, June 10, 2016
POLB Dedicates Advanced Fireboat
By Mark Edward Nero
A new fireboat was officially welcomed into service at the Port of Long Beach on June 8, representing what the port calls “a significant leap forward” in protecting its harbor and flow of trade.
In a dockside ceremony attended by roughly 100 invited guests, the fireboat Protector was dedicated in memory of Donald Domenic DiMarzo, a former Long Beach Fire Department captain.
DiMarzo served as a fire marshal aboard the USS Intrepid in the Pacific during World War II and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service for leading efforts to save the aircraft carrier after an attack that set it ablaze on Nov. 25, 1944.
Protector, built by Foss Shipyard in Seattle, is equipped with 10 water cannons capable of extinguishing fires in the harbor or on nearby land with more than 41,000 gallons per minute — four times the output of the existing fireboats. The boat can also shoot water the length of two football fields, and higher than a 20-story building, meaning firefighters can throw water or foam anywhere aboard the world’s largest container ships and oil tankers.
Protector and a second, still-under-construction boat, Vigilance, are replacing the port’s fireboats Challenger and Liberty, which began service in the late 1980s and were designed in an era where vessels carried 4,500 containers. The largest vessels calling in Long Beach now have a capacity of 18,000 containers, with even larger ships expected in the future.
The construction cost is $51.6 million for the two boats, including $18.5 million in grant funding from Homeland Security's Port Security Grant Program.
“These new fireboats are specifically designed for the big ship era,” Port of Long Beach CEO Jon Slangerup said in a statement. “They’re amazing, state-of-the art machines built to protect the ships of today and tomorrow.”
The new, multi-mission fireboats can also assist with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. Other features include facilities for medical treatment, a command information center, boom deployment to contain spills and an onboard crane.
“Protector is a major improvement in our emergency response capabilities, helping us to safeguard both the Port and our community,” Harbor Commission President Lori Ann Guzmán said.
In addition to the port and city fire department, the fireboat project team and partners include Foss Maritime Co., Jensen Maritime Consultants, Robert Allan Ltd., the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Administration.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Vigor Fab to Build San Francisco Fireboat
By Mark Edward Nero
Vigor Industrial subsidiary Vigor Fab has been awarded a contract to build a fireboat for the San Francisco Fire Department. Construction of the 88-foot by 25-foot by 14-foot vessel is expected to begin this fall in Seattle.
“We look forward to working with Vigor on this project and also to the day the new boat will be on the water protecting the people of San Francisco,” Assistant Deputy Chief Kyle Merkins of the San Francisco Fire Department’s Division of Homeland Security said.
The fireboat, designed by Jensen Maritime Consultants, is expected to have a top speed of 11.5 knots in full load condition and accommodate up to three crew members and four firefighters.
Its engines are EPA Tier III certified Cummins QSK19-M, which have a maximum horsepower of 750 BHP at 1,800 rpm, while its firefighting system will consist of six Stang fire monitors, according to Vigor, which will be supplied with water and foam from three 6,000-gpm fire pumps.
“We’ve been aggressively ramping up our ability to fabricate complex vessels,” Bryan Nichols, Vigor Fab’s sales director said. "This project is an excellent opportunity to put that preparation into action for our customer.”
The fireboat is scheduled to be delivered to the SF Fire Dept. by fall 2015.
Vigor Industrial subsidiary Vigor Fab has been awarded a contract to build a fireboat for the San Francisco Fire Department. Construction of the 88-foot by 25-foot by 14-foot vessel is expected to begin this fall in Seattle.
“We look forward to working with Vigor on this project and also to the day the new boat will be on the water protecting the people of San Francisco,” Assistant Deputy Chief Kyle Merkins of the San Francisco Fire Department’s Division of Homeland Security said.
The fireboat, designed by Jensen Maritime Consultants, is expected to have a top speed of 11.5 knots in full load condition and accommodate up to three crew members and four firefighters.
Its engines are EPA Tier III certified Cummins QSK19-M, which have a maximum horsepower of 750 BHP at 1,800 rpm, while its firefighting system will consist of six Stang fire monitors, according to Vigor, which will be supplied with water and foam from three 6,000-gpm fire pumps.
“We’ve been aggressively ramping up our ability to fabricate complex vessels,” Bryan Nichols, Vigor Fab’s sales director said. "This project is an excellent opportunity to put that preparation into action for our customer.”
The fireboat is scheduled to be delivered to the SF Fire Dept. by fall 2015.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Foss Holds Dedication Ceremony for New Fireboat
By Mark Edward Nero
The first of two new technologically advanced fireboats that
Foss Maritime is building for the Port of Long Beach was dedicated in a
blessing ceremony earlier this month at Foss Maritime’s Seattle shipyard.
Foss Senior Vice President Gary Faber, made opening remarks
during the May 1 ceremony. He praised the hardworking men and women who helped
construct the vessel. Also among the speakers were POLB Deputy Chief Harbor
Engineer Peter Forsythe and Mike Magill, Vice President of Foss’ Technical
Services, who introduced the Rev. David Marshall of St. Dunstan’s Episcopal
Church of Shoreline, who blessed the vessel.
Xavier Espino, Battalion Chief of the Long Beach Fire
Department, was also present, as was his wife Colleen, who had the honor of
breaking the ceremonial bottle of champagne across the fireboat’s hull.
The vessel, named Fireboat 20, is being readied for
service and is scheduled for delivery to Long Beach this summer.
Fireboat 20 has a Voith Schneider Cycloidal propulsion system
that allows for exceptional maneuverability, a firefighting system with a
pumping capacity of 41,000 gallons per minute, and seven caterpillar engines.
It is designed as a state-of-the-art command center, with a CBRN (chemical,
biological, radiological and nuclear defense) system that protects the
firefighters from threats.
A second fireboat for the Port of Long Beach is also under
construction and is expected to be delivered in late 2014 or early 2015,
according to Foss.
