MetalCraft Marine

Lakefront fire in Osage, MO

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 14:34:21 GMT

Here's a good slide gallery of the Osage Beach, Missouri FireStrom 30 extinguishing a raging fire at a lakefront home.

Perth Amboy's FireStorm 36 in the News

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:31:43 GMT

Here's a good news story from Perth Amboy, New Jersey, whose FireStorm 36 completely extinguished a raging boat-fire.

The bulk of the fire was knocked down from a distance utilizing the monitor on the front of the fire boat. As the fire started to darken down, firefighters were able to get closer to the boat to extinguish the remainder of the fire utilizing a hand line.

See a larger readable version .

A new testimonial

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:02:56 GMT

We're proud to share this testimonial from Scott Appleby, Director, Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security, City of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

The boat is tremendous and will be a great asset to our community and State when dealing with issues pertaining to fire and search &search rescue operations.

He's referring to the City of Bridgeport FireBrand 28 fireboat pictured here.

Late season sea trials

Thu, 7 Jan 2010 14:35:22 GMT

Here's a scan of a January 4 2010 article in The Kingston Whig-Standard about early-winter sea trials of four high-speed crew/patrol boats we're building for Panama.

MetalCraft Marine FireStorm 69: Workboat of the Year

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:02:20 GMT

MetalCraft's FireStrom 69 has been namd the 2009 Workboat of the Year by Marine News magazine.

This is the third time MetalCraft Marin has won this award:

In 2009 for the FireStorm 69.
In 2002 for the FireStorm 36.
In 1999 for the 65-foot Polar Barge.

Intverview with MetalCraft's Bob Clark

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:00:34 GMT

Check out this interesting and fast-moving interview by Dave Gardy with MetalCraft Marine Contracts Manager Bob Clark from the tradeshow floor of the 2009 International WorkBoat Convention which just concluded in New Orleans, LA.

Why you should buy a jet-powered fire rescue boat

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:22:34 GMT

MetalCraft's customers report that 75-80% of rescues are in shallow water or on shores that are inaccessible by road or air vehicles.

Here is video of damage to a prop-driven Portland Maine Fireboat. The story tells more about what happened.

Perth Amboy cruiser fire

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 18:00:46 GMT

November 1st in Perth Amboy, NJ, the owner of a 44-foot cabin cruiser had just started a gasoline powered generator to run a battery charger and it caught fire.

The fire extinguisher was in the forward section of the vessel so the owner elected to jump into his dingy and make for the Raritan Yacht Club instead of facing the possibility of being trapped in the forward part of the boat.

No one was injured.

Shown here an in other photos is Perth Amboy's MetalCraft Marine Firestorm 36 responding.

Update: Story from MyCentralJersey.com .

Two MetalCraft fireboats respond to a 50-foot yacht fire off Miami

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:45:15 GMT

Two MetalCraft Marine fireboats respond to a 50-foot power-boat fire in Biscayne Bay in late August.

Here's a writup by CBC Channel-4 and dozens of photos from the incident.

Tampa's new MetalCraft Marine FireStorm 69 arrives

Fri, 2 Oct 2009 12:56:19 GMT

Tampa Bay Online reports that the city's newest fireboat, a MetalCraft Marine FireStorm 69, has arrived.

The Patriot, a 69-foot, 52-ton vessel, crossed under the Sunshine Skyway about noon today with jets of water flying 100 feet in all directions. The fireboat was built in Kingston, Ontario, and cost $3.8 million � paid for with a Department of Homeland Security grant.

It arrived just before 2 p.m. at Marjorie Park on Davis Islands.

"It's not just a fire boat or a fire fighting resource," said Scott Ehlers, Tampa Fire Rescue's assistant chief of operations. "It is now a command and control element; it's a security element."

The delivery between Kingston and Tampa Bay was not without incident. The Patriot ran aground on a shallow sandbar at low-tide near St. Augustine, Florida and required assistance to get-off.

Here's an interesting YouTbe video of that experience.

There was no damage whatsoever to the vessel which is designed and built for shallow-water operations.

See more photos of The Patriot from its construction, launch, and sea-trials in Kingston.

Providence RI FireStorm 30 strike boat unveiled

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:33:51 GMT

Here's a news story with video from WPRI Eyewitness News about Providence, Rhode Island's new FireStrom 30.

WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) - Securing local waterways and protecting the safety of those who use them.

On Wednesday, one fire department unveiled its newest tool that will patrol the Port of Providence.

This is the fourth in a fleet of vessels known as the Port of Providence Marine Strike Team.

The 30 foot, jet powered m4 has a long list of features including infrared cameras, sonar to detect underwater objects a 50 gallon foam tank for chemical and other fires.

She will be available to go anywhere in the state for search and rescue, evacuations and sinking vessels and she can move too, 38 miles per hour and the jets allow her to operate in as little as 20 inches of water.

The half million dollar boat was paid for by a federal security grant.

Portsmouth, NH FD FireStorm 30 goes up-river where no roads go

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:12:00 GMT

Here's a story, with video about the Portsmouth NH fire department responding to a massive boat-fire with their MetalCraft Marine FireStorm 30 fireboat in an upriver area that's without road access.

Saving a whale

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 20:39:36 GMT

Add saving a whale to what fireboats are useful-for.

Boat crews from the U.S. Coast Guard, along with the Perth Amboy and New York fire departments, spent the next several hours following it and enforcing a protection zone around the mammal, Coast Guard Lt. Caren Damon said. The crews hoped to keep other boats aware of the situation as they waited for the whale to find its way back into the sea.

But what started as a 500-yard perimeter shrunk when the whale swam into the Raritan River and headed toward New Brunswick, Coast Guard and Perth Amboy officials said. At one point it was seen swimming under the railroad bridge between Perth Amboy and South Amboy.

Press Release

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:07:03 GMT

MetalCraft Marine Inc of Kingston Ontario and Clayton New York just rolled out the latest version of their award winning FireStorm-line of fireboats. The new FireStorm 69 will be the fastest fireboat in the world in the over 10,000 GPM class. It is the first NFPA Class 2 vessel built in North America.

On their way to an emergency call the 100,000 lb hull tops out at 40 Miles per Hour. Its super-low draft (28") at speed with quad Hamilton Jet drives and Iveco diesels will permit the Tampa Fire Rescue team to cross shallow areas cutting miles of travel.

The presence of the craft and its state-of-the-art systems will make the port of Tampa one of the safest in the United States. All thanks to an UASI grant from DHS.

Key features include:

Four Iveco C13 825hp @ 2400rpm,
Foam System - Accumax 7 discharge,
5500 GPM Stang main monitor,
2 x 2000 Elkhart monitors and 2 x 1250 Elkhart monitors,
4 Hale pumps producing over 13,500 gpm,
5 x 5" storz connections,
Hydraulic crane,
Jordair scuba/scba cascade refill station,
full galley and accommodation for 4 crew,
medical center with fridge, sink and oxygen.
The vessel also has 2 x Onan 13.5 KW gensets.

The Jacksonville Florida Fire Department has a FireStorm of that size under construction now, due for delivery next summer.

Tampa's FireStorm 69 fireboat's afloat

Wed, 5 Aug 2009 18:50:23 GMT

Here are some photos of Tampa's FireStorm 69 fireboat we've recently launched.

Click to see more photos, including some taken during vessel construction.

Fire Destroys Miami Beach 'Castle'

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:38:38 GMT

Here is news , video , and a slideshow of a fire that destroyed a large water-side residence in Miami last week.

Miami-Dade's MetalCraft Marine FireStorm 50 was on scene.

Fire torches two houseboats in Sausalito

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:15:56 GMT

Fire torches two houseboats in Sausalito and a MetalCraft Marine FireStorm 30 responds to the call.

Great photo courtesy of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue

Sun, 24 May 2009 01:28:33 GMT

Video: Tampa's FireStorm 70 under construction

Fri, 15 May 2009 07:19:15 GMT

Here's a video created by our customers from Tampa who were recently in-town checking on the progress of their FireStorm 70, presently under construction.

4-alarm fire at the New England Boatworks shipyard

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:47:25 GMT

There's been lots of coverage of a four-alarm fire last week in Portsmouth, RI at the New England Boatworks shipyard.

Some of you might recognize the New England Boatworks : it's famous for building high-tech large racing sailboats including several for skipper Dennis Connor over the years..

Pictured here is one of three MetalCraft Marine FireStorm fireboats that responded to the call.

Pictures of the first of four Kingston 50 Crew/Patrol boats for the Panama Canal Authority

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:58:39 GMT

Here are rollover pictures for MetalCraft Marine Hull #507, a Kingston 50 being built for the Panama Canal Authority .

At MetalCraft Marine, we build all our hulls upside-down, and then we roll-the-hulls-over and then finish vessel construction right-side-up.

We use our outoor 70-ton crane to roll-over the larger hulls and we then attach the housings, which are built separately. This process is what's shown in the photos.

MetalCraft Marine will be building four such vessels for the Panama Canal Authority over the upcoming year.

City of Miami, FL receives a New High-Speed 48 foot Aluminum Fire boat

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:25:28 GMT

City of Miami Department of Fire-Rescue has a new edition to their operations, a bright red FireStorm 48, ready to respond to waterborne emergencies within City of Miami waters as well as the overall region covering the Miami Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) under U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Deputy Fire Chief Brad Dougherty and MetalCraft Marine worked extensively and collectively in the design and construction of the new FireStorm 48.

The custom designed boat is powered by twin Iveco C-13's 770 hp @ 2300 rpm and 364 Hamilton jets putting out speeds of up to 37 knots. Twin Darley 1750 fire pumps provide an impressive water flow approaching 4,000 GPM.

The Vessel is also equipped with the Hamilton Jet - Blue Arrow system, a high level integrated operational control system between the water jets, gearboxes, engines and helm station. There are multiple levels of redundancy for safety. The highlight of the system is the "MouseBoat" maneuvering controller. A mouse similar to the mouse for a computer is shaped like a boat and located on a pad at the console. When the MouseBoat is moved in any direction, the boat will react accordingly for ease of maneuverability.

Additionally, the vessel is equipped with extensive operational components and electronics. Some examples include: NVTI stabilized optics consisting of High Resolution Thermal Imager, High Resolution 432X Zoom Color Camera, Ultra Low Lux Day/Night Camera integrated into Furuno large screen stations with Radar/Tracking, GPS Chartplotting, Dual Frequency Sonar/Sounder; Weatherfax; VHFs; Color Cameras covering engine room, decks and underwater; Underwater Lighting; Integrated Alarm Monitoring for vessel systems; 800mhz radios.

Fire Chief William Bryson and the Department are extremely pleased with the new arrival and look forward to providing increased levels of Fire-Rescue emergency services to the community and region.

Five years ago, MetalCraft produced the first FireStorm boat and has not turned back. Each boat having a unique and personalized flavor chosen by our customers. We have been designing and building boats, both power and sail, since 1978 and stand behind our 10-year hull warranty.

Four Escape Miami Luxury Boat Blaze

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 05:35:20 GMT

And there's compelling video too, from ABC's JustNews.com.

Two MetalCraft Marine fireboats were on the scene (large photo).

The red fireboat on the left is a FireStorm 48 belonging to the City of Miami. The margarita-lime fireboat on its right is a FireStorm 50 from Miami-Dade County.

Also see 4 jump to flee burning yacht in the Miami Sun Sentinal.

MetalCraft Marine vessels featured on CBS Channel-4 in Miami

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 05:55:02 GMT

Here'a a great video from CBS Channel-4 in Miami about Miami-Dade County's MetalCraft Marine-built high-speed fireboats.

Three new high-speed 30 foot aluminum CBRNE fireboats for Providence, East Providence and Cranston Fire Departments

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 06:05:47 GMT

Rhode Island welcomes three new high-speed FireStorm 30-foot aluminum CBRNE fireboats for Providence, East Providence and Cranston Fire Departments, with one more on the way for Warwick.

Fire Chief George Farrell, Fire Chief Joseph J. Klucznik, Fire Chief James Gumbley and their teams are excited about the new arrivals. Twin Cummins Merc. 4.2L diesel engines paired with Hamilton 241 jets power the 30-foot vessels which can reach speeds of 40 MPH.

The firefighting capabilities of the CBRNE boat include one roof mounted, remote master stream monitor with foam educting nozzle, a bow mounted remote master stream monitor, a 2�-inch discharges for hand lines, a rear mounted 2-1/2" manual monitor and one 5-inch storz discharge to supply land-based operations.

The Darley 1750 fire pumps are capable of flowing more than 2500 gallons per minute. These CBRNE vessels are equipped with Hazardous gas detection equipment, which can be linked from one boat to the others, and back to headquarters.

The boats can perform in shallow draft conditions and are able to maneuver in tight quarters. They are capable of operating in inclement conditions, including driving rain and dense fog.

Here are more photos of these three vessels.

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:49:51 GMT

Here's a photo of Guntersville Fire Rescue attacking a blaze from the shore.

This could have been devastating but because of their quick action, they managed to save most of the Marina and its boats.

MCM is hoping we have the opportunity to build them a FireBrand 28 in the near future. They definitely could have used it for this fire.

Two Kingston 36 high-speed patrol boats for the Petrotrin Oil Company in Trinidad and Tobago

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:27:34 GMT

Two high-speed Kingston 36 high-speed patrol boats will be stationed in Pointe-A-Pierre , patrolling the Petrotrin Oil viaducts as well as Petrotrin oil platforms offshore in the Soldado Oil fields.

Selwyn Johnetty and his team are excited about the new arrivals.

Twin QSB 5.9L 425hp @ 3000 Cummins diesel engines paired with Hamilton 292 jets power the 36-foot vessel; the boat can reach speeds of 37 MPH.

The boat comes equipped with 1834C Furuno navigation equipment. Twin 16,000 BTU air-conditioners, to combat the intense heat, powered by an ONAN 6.5Kw marine generator.

The boat can perform in shallow draft conditions and is able to maneuver in tight harbors. It is capable of operating in inclement sea conditions, including driving rain and dense fog.

MetalCraft Marine has been designing and building high-speed aluminum Fire/Rescue, Patrol and Workboats since 1987.

FireStorm 69 construction photos posted

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:30:18 GMT

We've just uploaded some recent photos of the FireStorm 69 fireboat that's currently under construction for the City of Tampa. You can view them on our Flickr pages.

Here's what the vessel will look like once it's completed.

1988 to 2008 : Twenty Years of Innovation

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:40:26 GMT

MetalCraft Marine Inc of Kingston Ontario and Clayton New York just rolled out the latest version of their award winning Firestorm line of fireboats.

The new FireStorm 69 will be the fastest fireboat in the world.

It will be able to pump over 10,000 GPM class.

On their way to an emergency call the 100,000 lb hull will top out at 40 Miles per hour. Its super low draft (28") at speed with quad Hamilton jet drives will permit the Tampa Fire Rescue teams to cross shallow areas cutting off miles of travel.

Tampa's new vessel will be delivered by water from Kingston to Florida down the Eastern Seaboard June of 2009. The presence of the craft and its state of the art systems will make the port of Tampa one of the safest in the United States. All thanks to an UASI grant from DHS.

MetalCraft Marine has just been awarded a $5.8 Million contract for the Panama Canal Authority that is based on the same hull platform. There are several other Departments in line waiting to also own a FireStorm 69.

Pictured here is MetalCraft's very first boat (Hull#1) built in 1988 with Tampa Fire Rescue's Firestorm-69 (Hull #503).

Marin County's Firestorm 30 "Liberty" assisting at Angel Island

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:38:21 GMT

Southern Marin County's MetalCraft Marine FireStorm 30, named Liberty, is shown in this photo essay assisting in an impressive fire on Angel Island , in San Francisco Bay.

Miami: Crews extinguish cargo ship fire

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 05:16:15 GMT

Here's an interesting on-line article , with a 2:30 minute news video, about Miami-Dade firefighters battling a series of freighter fires over the past few months.

Miami-Dade County has two MetalCraft Marine vessels at its disposal for on-water interventions like this.

Photos of Bridgeport's new FireBrand 28

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 04:08:36 GMT

We've just posted some new photos of Bridgeport, CT's new and recently delivered FireBrand 28 fireboat.

Updated Kingfisher 29 Patrol Boat photos

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:34:35 GMT

We've just updated our online photo library with images of a newly built Kingfisher 29 Patrol Boat

This particular vessel was built in Clayton, NY, at MetalCraft Marine U.S. for the Jefferson County Sheriff.

Boat hits Robert Moses Causeway support

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:41:38 GMT

The East Islip Volunteer Fire Department on Long Island recently used their MetalCraft Marine FireStorm 30 with Outboards to respond to a boat which hit the Robert Moses Causeway .

After a 30-minute search, the boat was located.

One person was killed and the other was taken aboard the vessel for treatment. The subject was then transferred to another vessel for transport to a local hospital.

More coverage here and here and Channel-12 News video here.

New vessels for Providence, East Providence and Cranston RI

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 16:56:33 GMT

Here's a news story from the Providence Journal about three new FireStorm 30 fireboats in the region that MetalCraft Marine recently delivered. There's video as well.

Here is a related story from WPRI Channel 12 Eyewitness News

Miami River freighter fires

Wed, 9 Jul 2008 20:58:18 GMT

Here are stories and video from Local 10 News and NBC Channel 6 News in Miami about pesky freighter fires in the Miami River last weekend whose response was greatly assisted by MetalCraft Marine vessels.