Long Beach Fire Department News

Officials dedicated two new Port of Long Beach fireboat stations that are enhancing the Long Beach Fire Department’s waterside and landside emergency response capabilities, better safeguarding visiting ships, cargo and waterfront workers.The facilities – Fireboat Station 15 and Fireboat Station 20 – are the products of a $109 million Port of Long Beach program to preserve business continuity, security and economic interests. With an anticipated lifespan of 50 years, both stations…

Twelve people, including one firefighter, sustained minor to mild injuries after a container ship leaked a hazardous material in the Port of Long Beach in Southern California, WSJ reported. A 6,000-gallon container on the ship began leaking the liquid Sunday morning, Officer Brian Fisk with the Long Beach Fire Department said. Workers who were exposed to the leaking chemical, identified as propyl acetate, experienced shortness of breath, said Davonte Marrow, a spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard. The leak was contained and a 1,000-foot perimeter was established as a precaution. A dispatcher for the Port of Long Beach said the ship with the leaky container was the Harbour Bridge. The Coast Guard identified the liquid as propyl acetate, primarily used as a solvent.

A new fireboat was officially welcomed into service Wednesday at the Port of Long Beach, representing a significant leap forward in protecting the harbor and the flow of trade through the nation’s second-busiest seaport. In a dockside ceremony attended by 100 invited guests, the fireboat named “Protector” was dedicated in memory of Donald Domenic DiMarzo, a former Long Beach Fire Department captain. DiMarzo served as a fire marshal aboard the USS Intrepid in the Pacific during World War II. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service for leading efforts to save the aircraft carrier after an attack that set it ablaze on Nov. 25, 1944.

Officials reopened a stretch of Southern California coastline on Friday after closing it because of tar balls that washed ashore, in a phenomenon authorities are examining for any possible link to an oil pipeline spill. Officials had closed the 4-mile (6-km) stretch of shore in Long Beach, south of Los Angeles, on Wednesday after beachgoers stepped on tar balls, said Long Beach Fire Department spokesman Jake Heflin. Clean-up workers collected dozens of gallons of oil on the shore and the U.S. Coast Guard collected samples to determine its origin, Heflin said. Tar balls are a naturally occurring phenomenon on beaches in the region, but officials say the high numbers in recent days have raised questions about their origin. Long Beach officials reopened the beachfront on Friday, Heflin said.

The first of two new fireboats built by Foss Maritime for the Port of Long Beach (POLB) was dedicated in a blessing ceremony on Thursday, May 1 at Foss Maritime's Seattle Shipyard, the company said. The vessel, named Fireboat 20, is being readied for service and is slated for delivery to Long Beach, Calif., this summer. Gary Faber, Foss Senior Vice President, made opening remarks and praised the hardworking men and women who helped construct the vessel. Peter Forsythe, POLB Deputy Chief Harbor Engineer spoke with excitement about the forthcoming delivery…

T&T Salvage, LLC announced the signing of a consent agreement with the Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD). This agreement permits T&T to include the LBFD's extensive marine firefighting resources in its emergency response network. T&T's network, established to meet United States Coast Guard, Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) requirements, is available to owners and operators of vessels subject to the salvage and marine firefighting regulations contained in OPA 90. The consent agreement, which is the first of its kind to be signed in California, will ensure a coordinated response and minimize the impact of a major marine fire event in the Los Angeles/Long Beach Port Complex.

Robert Allan Ltd. announced that it was selected to be the Owner’s Naval Architect for the design and construction of two new fireboats for the Port of Long Beach. Custom designed for service in the U.S. port, the fireboats will be operated by the Long Beach Fire Department and will be amongst the largest fireboats in North America. Robert Allan Ltd.’s design work began in 2011, with a series of kick-off meetings with the Port of Long Beach and the Long Beach Fire Department to establish the Statement of Requirements for the new vessels.