In July 2005, the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) awarded a contract for the design of their new fast
response fireboats to Robert Allan Ltd. of Vancouver, BC. The design team has been working closely with the FDNY project team finalizing the functional requirements for the vessel, assessing alternatives, and developing the concept design.
In March 2006, the project successfully completed a comprehensive value engineering process, during which a panel of independent marine and fire-fighting industry experts reviewed the proposed design and, in concert with the Robert Allan Ltd. and FDNY design teams, assessed the merits of a variety of suggested options. The design process is now moving
full steam ahead to the detailed design stage, which will lead to an anticipated tender call for two new fireboats in the fall of 2006.
The new fast response fireboats are designed to specifically address the fire-fighting and rescue needs of the greater New York harbor including responding to CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological,
Nuclear and Explosive) incidents, and Hazmat decontamination. The pumping system is configured for marine fire incident response, and to support land-based firefighters with a 50,000 gpm total pumping capacity (at 150 psi) connected to a system of hoses capable of supplying water up to 5 miles inland.