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The Eastern Shipbuilding Group delivered the first of two New York City Fireboats on April 24. The vessel departed the group's facility on in Panama City for its voyage to New York.
'Three Forty Three' is named in honor of the 343 firefighters who lost their lives at the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001.
These new, state-of-the-art vessels will modernize the marine operations department of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), with the 'Three Forty Three' replacing the 50-year-old 'John D. McKean' and the 'Fire Fighter II' replacing the 70-year-old 'Fire Fighter'.
These 42.6-metre, 500-tonne fireboats will be able to pump 190,000 litres of water per minute, over 110,000 litres more than their predecessors.
'Three Forty Three' was designed by Vancouver-based naval architect Robert Allan. Some of the designed features include the capability of protecting firefighters from chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear agents (CBRN). While performing in any of these hostile environments, the crew will be protected in a pressurized area that will also have its air supply filtered by special charcoal and HEPA filters.
The vessel is powered by four MTU main engines each producing 1,490kW and can reach speeds up to 18 knots. The pilothouse offers a 360 degree view as well as a command and control area where chief officers will be able to monitor and direct the operations with the aid of remote cameras and a large array of state-of-the-art communication equipment.
The second Fireboat, the 'Firefighter II', is scheduled to join the New York fleet mid-summer.
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