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:
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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