MetalCraft Marine

FireStorm 47 Portsmouth Class Aluminum Fireboats

The FireStorm high-speed aluminum fireboat represents a new generation in fireboat technology. It is a culmination of years of study and research into high volume pumping systems and their effects on a small boat's stability, controllability, dynamic loading and righting moments.

Portsmouth Fire Department; Portsmouth, Virginia

Speed: 42 MPH estimate L.O.A.: 47‘ ” Beam.: 12' 6" Draft: 2' 3" NFPA Class: B* Pump (rated): Twin Darley @ 1750 GPM Monitor: Twin Akron Conquest 3679 (bow & cabin top) two stern 2 ½ inch handlines Engine: Twin CAT C-12's 660 HP Diesels Jets: Hamilton 322

Hull Shape

The FireStorm operates on the Kingston hull design platform. This Kingston hull form is a proprietary design that features a delta-pad center planing flat, which provides the additional lift required to offer a low trim angle through the pre-planing transition zone, "the hump".

Fireboats carry approximately 25% more fire and rescue gear than a conventional patrol boat. This normally causes the planning surface area to be very marginal or even too low in the water to plane at all. A heavy boat with a small water plane causes exaggerated high bow planning angles and heavy loads on engines reducing their longevity. With this hull design, MetalCraft has proven you can get speed and performance without compromising the equipment list.

This high efficiency Kingston hull (copyright 1987) offsets the FireStorm's high load condition, providing additional speed and better fuel economy.

Fire Systems

The FireStorm-36ft. & 40ft. can be fitted with twin or single fire pumps for redundancy or added firepower. Flow meter results on the FireStorm 40 were 3100gpm from 2x 1000 GPM pumps and 2200 GPM from a single 1500 GPM pump. Flow meter results from the FireStorm 36 were 2420 gpm from a single 1750 gpm Darley PSM pump.

The unique MetalCraft Marine proprietary designed sea chest (Copyright 2001) allows for the large pumping capacity. This sea chest with an intake as large as a firefighter himself, provides a filtered water source to the pump while self draining with the boat on plane.

FireStorm Links & Awards

The monitor location is central for further range and is close to the center of buoyancy. This permits the helmsman to pivot the boat around a high thrust load at full stream while running a low engine rpm, not unlike a towboat.

Operators are amazed at the boat's control while at full-stream in any given angle thereby, never allowing the boat to be blown off course.

Simplicity in design was key to the fire system. This truck design theory allows for a consistent ease of performance, maintenance and reparability.

* Some exceptions to the NFPA 1925 apply, based on individual specifications.

Rescue Systems

The FireStorm-36 and 40 are NFPA Class 'C' fireboats but can meet NFPA Class 'B' pumping requirements and pumps more than 25% in excess of its pump rating. Items like the wrap around recovery deck©, track system safety harness (patent pending), internal foam tanks and forward push knees© are only some of the design features specific to the FireStorm rescue system.

While arriving on-scene faster than most large vessels, FireStorms offers a wide range of specialized rescue features for first or only response.

These systems were designed with the input and insight from the O.W.L. Fire Department Boat Team of Fire Fighters. MetalCraft Marine would like to thank these men for their contributions and their affect on the future of fireboat design.

Rescue Options

• Heated & A/C patient care area with primary patient care bench & secondary care berth
• Hinged critical care berth
• Dedicated EMS equipment storage with power taps for battery chargers
• Piped oxygen supply to patient berths
• Forward loading capability for stokes through forward hinged window
• Aid bag, stokes and back board storage
• 500lb. manual or electric davit
• Aft deck steering station for crew and patient safety

  * Some exceptions to the NFPA 1925 apply, based on individual specifications.