August 3, 2012
Press Release from the Office of Wilmington Fire Chief Willie J. Patrick

News from the Office of Wilmington Fire Chief Willie J. Patrick, Jr./EFO

For Release on: July 16, 2012

NEW WILMINGTON FIREBOAT TO ARRIVE

LOCATION: Christiana River, Wilmington, Delaware
DATE: July 16, 2012

In May of 2011, The City of Wilmington contracted with MetalCraft Marine of Cape Vincent, New York, to build a new multi-mission fireboat.

The Boat was constructed in Kingston Ontario and was completed on June 29, 2012. The boat departed from Lake Ontario on July 9 with three members of the Wilmington Fire Department aboard.

The vessel then traveled through the Oswego Canal to the Erie Canal where the crew rested in Utica, NY. The following morning the crew traveled down the remaining section of the Erie Canal and exited into the Hudson River. The crew had a second night layover in Troy, NY. On July 11, the boat traveled down the Hudson River past the Statue of Liberty and stopped for a crew rest in Perth Amboy, NJ. The following day the boat traveled down the Atlantic Ocean and had a final crew rest in Atlantic City.

The boat entered the Delaware Bay on July 13 and traveled up the Christiana River to Marine Station 7 where it will be permanently berthed.

Some of the features of the new boat are:

  • Length 70'
  • Width 22'
  • 100,000 LBS Displacement
  • Powered by four Iveco C-13- 825 HP diesel engines with four Hamilton Jets for propulsion.
  • Top Speed 38 Knots. (43 MPH)
  • Firefighting pumps can produce a flow 12,000 gallons per minute.
  • 300 Gallons of AFFF Foam Concentrate for Petroleum Fires.
  • The cabin includes two patient care berth with four secondary care berths in the forepeak including.
  • Its cabin, galley, sleeping quarters, HVAC, and dual onboard generators enable the crew to stay on station for extended periods.
  • State of the art navigation electronics.

This new boat replaces the 35 year old 65' foot boat which was sold in June of 2012.

The new Fireboat cost 3.5 million dollars and was funded primarily by a Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) Port Security Grant that the Wilmington Fire Department was awarded. Additional funding was provided by Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G), Midstream Magellan Partners, located in the Port of Wilmington, and the City of Wilmington.

The fire department will spend the next few weeks outfitting the boat with equipment and training before placing the boat in service. The Department will announce an official christening sometime in the near future.

Contact:

Battalion Chief Carl Zipfel Wilmington Fire Department
302-540-5071


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