Many fire departments around the country are faced with fire suppression and rescue situations on nonoceanic bodies of water—rivers, lakes, and reservoirs—that require the use of smaller, nimbler watercraft that can be used in places larger fireboats can’t reach.
Boat manufacturers have responded to this need with a fleet of boat designs that give departments the flexibility to outfit their fire/rescue boats with the equipment that best fits the situations they expect to encounter.
Dean Jones, vice president of sales at Metal Shark Boats, says the trend among fire departments is to purchase boats in the 29- to 45-foot range. Jones notes that Metal Shark’s 28-foot Courageous center console boat is very popular, as are its 29-foot and 32-foot Defiant models that have a cabin. “Both types usually are set up as combination fire and rescue boats,” Jones says, “although both Defiant and Courageous boats are available in our NXT fireboat model, which is the same length boat with a wider base and fire-designed hull to carry the heavy equipment load of a fire pump, monitor, hoses, and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).”
Dave Hunt, business development product manager for Silver Ships, says his company makes several lines of boats used for fire/rescue, including Ambar, an offshore rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB); Endeavor, a 30-foot or greater offshore craft; Explorer, a landing craft type boat; and Freedom, a 23- to 26-footer often used on inland waterways. “Our boats are all aluminum, with our RIB having a closed cell polyethylene foam sheath collar on it,” Hunt points out, “and our Explorer series can be had with or without a bow door.”
Hunt says that Silver Ships built a 32-foot Explorer fire/rescue boat powered by twin Mercury 175-horsepower (hp) outboard motors for the Detroit (MI) Fire Department, with a Darley LSDE1000 1,000-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pump, Elkhart Brass Copperhead monitor, fully enclosed pilot house, and two dive doors on the sides of the vessel.
Silver Ships also built a 34-foot Endeavor fire/rescue boat for the Lake Ozark (MO) Fire Protection District that has three Mercury Verado 350-hp outboards, a Duramax marine diesel powering a Hale 80FC pump, and a Task Force Tips 1,250-gpm Monsoon monitor.
Ken Royal, vice president of sales for Moose Boats Inc., says Moose Boats makes three models of fire/rescue boats. “The M1 is a diesel water-jet catamaran with a length overall of 44 to 46 feet, a 16-foot beam, and a 26-inch draft,” Royal points out. “Our M2 catamaran is 35 to 38 feet overall length, powered by a diesel water-jet or outboard. We recently built a 38-foot M2 for Rochester (NY) Fire Department, which has jurisdiction on the Genesee River and Lake Ontario. The boat has a 1,500-gpm pump, two monitors, a 5-inch large-diameter hose (LDH) discharge, an extended walk-around cabin, an incident command/navigation station, and an 84-inch patient bench with EMS (emergency medical services) storage below.”
Royal notes that Moose Boats also recently delivered a 35-foot M3 monohull rescue/patrol boat to the Santa Cruz (CA) Harbor Patrol. The boat is powered by twin 300-hp four-stroke Suzuki outboards and has towing capabilities, a single-station wheelhouse, dive doors on the sides for access in and out of the water, forward looking infrared (FLIR) capabilities, and a protective cage around the outboards to protect against collision.
1 SAFE Boats built this 27½-foot-long center console fire/rescue boat powered by twin Mercury Verado 250-hp outboard engines with a Darley 37V 500-gpm pump and a Stang 2½–inch monitor for the North Lake Tahoe (CA) Fire Protection District. (Photos 1-2 courtesy of SAFE Boats International.)
2 Chesterfield County (VA) Fire & EMS had SAFE Boats build this 33-foot-long Emergency Medical Transport boat with a full cabin powered by Twin Suzuki 300-hp outboard engines and carrying a Darley 37V 500-gpm pump and an Elkhart Brass Sidewinder EXM remote controlled monitor.
Rob Goley, director of business development and strategy for SAFE Boats International, says SAFE Boats has been making more multimission boats for the fire service. “Many departments aren’t looking so much for a one-use fireboat but one that can do firefighting and also handle search and rescue work and dive operations.” SAFE makes a center console design that allows for enhanced visibility and maximized deck space for crew movement, storage, and equipment, Goley points out. SAFE Center Console models are built in 23-, 25-, 27-, 29-, and 35-foot versions for outboard engines and a 26-foot version for an inboard engine.
SAFE also makes an outboard-driven Full Cabin boat in 25-, 27-, 29-, 31-, 33-, and 38-foot lengths. Goley says the fully enclosed cabin can be climate controlled with an optional generator, air conditioner, and diesel heater. “Our outboard-driven Walk Around Cabin boat is available in 27-, 29-, and 31-foot lengths,” he adds, “combining the crew comfort benefits of our Full Cabin model with the increased deck space of a Center Console.”
He notes that SAFE recently delivered a 25-foot SAFE Center Console boat to the North Lake Tahoe (CA) Fire Department that’s set up with both firefighting and rescue capabilities. “Fire Department of New York has a fleet of SAFE boats,” Goley says, “including a 33-foot EMT craft with a 48-inch drop bow on the front and dive cutouts on the sides.”
Matthew Velluto, director of business development for RIBCRAFT USA, says that while the size of a boat is important when considering its operational area, many fire departments have come to the realization that a bigger boat isn’t always necessarily better in terms of functionality. “Many departments want ease of use and handling,” Velluto says, “and not the need for a lot of maintenance and upkeep. Most fire departments coming to us are looking for rescue boats that have some fire suppression capabilities. Fifteen to 26 feet in length is the sweet spot for us.”
Velluto points out that RIBCRAFT only makes rigid inflatable and fully inflatable boats. “RIBs provide the optimal search and rescue platform with their incredible stability, which allows them to carry heavy payloads,” he says. “Also, the lower freeboard and rounded sides make it easier to pull people out of the water, making it a practical rescue vessel.” Velluto says RIBCRAFT has delivered boats to the Amsterdam (NY) Fire Department, the Boston (MA) Fire Department, the Maine Marine Patrol, and the West Palm Beach (FL) Fire Department, among others.
3 RIBCRAFT USA built this 5.85-meter RHIB with the forward-located console so there’s room to carry a stokes basket. (Photos 3-4 courtesy of RIBCRAFT USA.)
4 The Portsmouth (NH) Fire Department had RIBCRAFT build this center console 7.8-meter fire/rescue boat.
Bob Beck, director of sales and marketing for Lake Assault Boats, says Lake Assault recently built a 32-foot monohull fire/rescue boat for the Patchogue (NY) Fire Department that has a 1,500-gpm pump and a 25-foot RIB for the Hennepin County (MN) Fire Department that has a small fire pump and monitor. “Fire departments usually want multiple-capability boats, like fire suppression, rescue, and dive platforms,” Beck says. “Full cabins to treat EMS patients are becoming popular too. We built a 30-foot monohull rescue boat for the Pittsburgh (PA) EMS that has a large cabin for patients and also a 30-foot fireboat for the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire.”
Tony Lumpkin, president of RescueONE Connector Boats, says his company has developed the FLOODFighter™ X4, four 14-foot-long, 150-pound connector boats that can be connected together to make a floating platform. “The four aluminum connector boats are carried on a single trailer and are designed for flood evacuation use,” Lumpkin says. “They are walk-out boats used in two to three feet of water to rescue flood victims and can be fitted with a 5-hp electric- or gasoline-powered outboard for propulsion across deeper water.”
Jeff Jacklin, senior engineer at United Plastic Fabricating (UPF), says UPF has developed an 18-foot-long polypropylene shallow draft boat. “The boat’s beam is 74 inches, overall height is 24 inches, and the draught is 4 inches,” Jacklin observes. “It’s designed for shallow water and can be made longer or shorter, depending on a fire department’s needs. And polypropylene is almost indestructible, compared to rubber, fiberglass, and aluminum.”
Ryan Rogers, director of operations for 1000 Island Airboats, says his company’s 24-foot search and rescue airboat has a fiberglass composite hull that is powered by either a 525-hp General Motors LSX or 640-hp LT4 engine. “We delivered one to the Saranac Lake (NY) Fire Department last year with a heated cabin that can carry 12 persons,” he said. “One of our boats last winter was able to rescue 23 ice fishermen off an ice island, all in one run, a few miles from shore on a lake in Ontario, Canada.”
5 1000 Island Airboats makes a 24-foot search and rescue airboat powered by either a General Motors 525-hp LSX engine or 640-hp LT4 engine. (Photo 5 courtesy of 1000 Island Airboats.)
6 United Plastic Fabricating has developed a polypropylene body shallow draft boat that can be used for both fire and rescue work. (Photo 6 courtesy of United Plastic Fabricating.)
Mike Arras, deputy chief at the St. Louis (MO) Fire Department, says St. Louis operates a MetalCraft Marine 42-foot fireboat powered by waterjets that has two Hale pumps capable of 8,000 gpm, two 2,000-gpm and two 1,000-gpm monitors, a cabin with an EMS area, and a dive platform on the back. St. Louis also runs a 27-foot SAFE Boat set up for rescue and dive work. “We also have a 27-foot Boston Whaler, a 22-foot aluminum tri-hull, two inflatable Zodiacs assigned to our rescue squads, and two 13-foot Zodiac Cadets for use on smaller streams and ponds,” Arras says.
7 Silver Ships 32-foot Explorer Series-Custom fireboat delivered to the Danbury (CT) Fire Department. (Photos 7-9 Courtesy of Silver Ships.)
8 Silver Ships Ambar 1100 RHIB delivered to Eglin Air Force Base to assist in ocean rescue and firefighting missions.
9 Silver Ships 34-foot Endeavor Series fireboat was delivered to the Great Lake of the Ozarks community in central Missouri.
Luke Schultz, captain of fireboats at the Seattle (WA) Fire Department, says Seattle runs two large fireboats, the Chief Seattle and the Leschi, two 50-foot Metal Craft Marine Firestorm 50 fast-attack fire/rescue boats, and a 26-foot SAFE Boat rescue craft. “We do a lot of rescues,” Schultz notes. “Last summer, a woman fell off a boat at night in Lake Washington. Agencies searched for her for an hour and called us for the Leschi, which has FLIR. Our crew located her in 10 minutes and pulled her aboard, 500 yards from shore.”
John Bogush, captain of special operations at Tampa (FL) Fire Rescue, says Tampa has the 70-foot Patriot, a MetalCraft Marine water-jet-driven fireboat with four fire pumps, two bow and two stern monitors, and a 6,000-gpm Stang gun on the cabin roof. Tampa also operates a 30-foot aluminum Sea Ark fire/rescue boat with a cabin, powered by triple 225-hp outboards and carrying a 1,250-gpm pump and two monitors with side doors for dive/rescue work; a 27-foot center console Boston Whaler fire/rescue boat with a 1,250-gpm pump and one monitor with side doors for dive/rescue work; and a 20-foot center console rescue boat.
ALAN M. PETRILLO is a Tucson, Arizona-based journalist, the author of three novels and five nonfiction books, and a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board. He served 22 years with the Verdoy (NY) Fire Department, including in the position of chief.
