Officials Dedicate New Fire Boat

From Bill Kaempffer, Fire Department spokesman:

Mayor Bill Finch and Fire Chief Brian Rooney dedicated a new 33-foot fire boat that will be a major asset for the Fire Department in protecting city residents, businesses and visitors.

“This is a state-of-the-art vessel,” said Mayor Bill Finch. “When you look at our shoreline, we have a lot of important assets. We have our residents and guests, pleasure boaters and swimmers enjoy our shores and waterways. And we have institutional assets like the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Ferries, tank farms, marinas. This boat has the capabilities to protect them all.”

The fire-rescue boat was built by Safe Boats in Bremerton, Wash. It cost $697,000 and was funded entirely by a federal Homeland Security/Port Security grant.

Congressman Jim Himes attended the dedication ceremony. Mayor Finch expressed gratitude for his assistance in securing the grant in a very competitive financial climate.

Himes pointed behind him at Steel Pointe, a waterfront parcel that the city plans to transform into a large-scale, mixed-used development. He hoped to return, he said, to a bustling area with waterfront promenades and commercial and retail businesses. All would be served by the new fire boat. “This is the future of Bridgeport.”

Fire Chief Rooney described the boat’s impressive features.

It will have the ability to respond to all types of emergencies: Search and rescue, fires both on the shore and in the water, chemical or petroleum spills and acts of terror.

The cabin is pressurized and airtight so the vessel can respond to contaminated areas.

The boat is equipped with sonar, radar, a variety of meters to detect threats, and it has a deck gun, augmented by two hose lines, that can shoot 2,000 gallons of water per minute.

That is the equivalent of a new fire pumper but with an endless water supply.

It can carry four firefighters and 17 additional passengers. With three 300-horsepower engines, it can travel up to 48 mph.

The Fire Department’s existing fire boat will be donated to the Fairfield Fire Department, which currently does not have a fire-rescue vessel. Both the Bridgeport and Fairfield Departments provide mutual aid during major incidents and that cooperation can now extend to offshore, Rooney said.

Here are some facts about the new fire boat:

· Cost $697,000 – purchased with a Homeland Security/Port Security Grant

· 33 feet

· Built by Safe Boats in Bremerton, Washington

· 3 (300 horsepower) Yamaha 4-Stroke engines

· Can go up to 48 miles per hour

· Holds 21 people (4 crew plus 17 passengers)

· 300 gallon fuel tank

· One water gun and two hand lines (gun shoots at 2,000 gallons per minute)

· 20 gallons of foam