San Francisco Fire Department News

This West Coast boat builder stays busy creating high quality fireboats for a diverse set of demanding, multi-missioned first responders. For Moose customer satisfaction is the name of the game. This year, they’ve got that box checked.Vallejo,CA-based Moose Boats builds aluminum catamaran and monohull vessels designed to meet a variety of mission-specific applications for military, law enforcement, emergency response, firefighting and security patrol purposes. It’s been a busy year for Moose, who also recently laid the keel for a 75’ catamaran crew boat for Westar Marine Services in San Francisco. But, it is fireboats that this builder is known for. And, at present, it would not be an exaggeration to say that fireboats are ‘hot’ for Moose Boats.

Moose Boats delivered a M2-38 Catamaran CBRN, Dive and Fire Rescue vessel to San Francisco Fire Department.A pair of Cummins QSB6.7 425hp turbo diesel propulsion engines with Hamilton HJ292 water-jets will power the M2-38 aluminum catamaran. Serving primarily as a dive and rescue boat, the M2 is outfitted with an integrated dive/recovery platform and a bow ladder for beach rescues.Due to the Moose Boat’s Homeland Security role, it is also equipped with a Hale fire pump flowing in excess of 1…

California boat builder Moose Boats said it was awarded a contract from the San Francisco Fire Department for the construction of a M2-38 Catamaran CBRN, Dive and Fire Rescue vessel to enter service in the third quarter of 2018. The aluminum catamaran, which is 75 percent funded by FEMA’s FY2015 Port Security Grant Program, will be powered by twin Cummins QSB6.7 425hp turbo diesel propulsion engines with Hamilton HJ292 waterjets. Serving primarily as a dive and rescue boat, the vessel will be outfitted with an integrated dive/recovery platform and a bow ladder for beach rescues.

San Francisco’s Jensen-designed super pumping fireboat is like none that came before her. As a result, the City by the Bay is prepared like never before, for its next crisis. Christened on October 17, appropriately enough on the anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the city of San Francisco’s first new fireboat in almost 60 years is an especially unique boat, designed and built for a specific purpose. When the infamous quake burst the domestic water lines beneath San Francisco, it left local firefighters scrambling for a water source from which they could fight the fires that ensued. Today, Fireboat 3 – named locally by a young grade school student as the St.

As the City of San Francisco commissions its latest fireboat today, the vessel, designed by Seattle-based Jensen Maritime Consultants, exemplifies the evolution and growth of the naval architecture and marine engineering firm since it was acquired by Crowley Maritime Corp. in 2008. “Eight years ago I’m not sure this project would have been in our sweet spot,” said Johan Sperling, vice president of Crowley’s marine solutions group, which includes Jensen. “But over the past eight years, Crowley has made a considerable effort to give us all the tools we need to expand into new areas. “It’s one thing to be able to design a good looking boat, but if it can’t be built efficiently and cost effectively, and if it doesn’t operate the way it is supposed to, what do you really have?” said Sperling.

Vigor recently delivered an 88’ x 25’ x 14’ fireboat to the San Francisco Fire Department. The yet to be named vessel is the first fireboat to join San Francisco’s fleet in 61 years. Designed by Jensen Maritime and built at Vigor’s Seattle shipyard, the unique vessel is not only a firefighting tool but also a mobile pumping station powerhouse, the shipbuilder said. It’s capable of pumping millions of gallons of water directly from the Bay into the City’s Auxiliary Water System – a feature that will keep fire hoses flowing in the event an earthquake damages San Francisco’s water mains.

The 14,000-long ton capacity drydock Vigilant that will support hundreds of family-wage industrial jobs at Vigor Industrial’s shipyard on Harbor Island is scheduled to arrive in Elliott Bay late Saturday or early Sunday. The 528-foot long drydock, which is being towed from Portland by tugs from Seattle’s Harley Marine Services, will enable Vigor to continue to compete with California and U.S. Gulf Coast shipyards for ship repair, maintenance and construction contracts. The Vigilant replaces a sister drydock that was decommissioned in February. “This is a needed and valuable asset for our Seattle yard, our workers and the local maritime economy,” said Adam Beck, Vigor’s executive vice president of ship repair.

Jensen Maritime, a wholly owned Crowley Maritime Corp. subsidiary, has been selected to provide detail production engineering and construction management on an 88' x 25' Super Pumper NFPA Type II Fireboat for the San Francisco Fire Department. Jensen completed the fireboat contract-design for the city in 2012. “We are proud to work with the San Francisco Fire Department again,” said Johan Sperling, Jensen vice president. Vigor Industrial will build the vessel at its 27-acre facility in Seattle.

Surrounded on three sides by water with the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Golden Gate Strait to the north, and San Francisco Bay to the East, the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) currently relies on two old and refurbished fireboats, the Phoenix (built in 1954) and the Guardian (built in 1951) to serve as fire protection assets for the waters around the City. San Francisco requires fireboats for a wide range of protective coastal duties. Since San Francisco lies near a major earthquake fault line…

Specialty workboats redefined: versatility, value and multi-mission capabilities, all rolled into one affordable hull. In a world where small to medium sized municipalities and port authorities have to make every dollar go a long, long way, any opportunity to leverage just one hull over multiple mission sets grabs a lot of attention. Nevertheless, Job 1 on that set of requirements is arguably the need to provide robust firefighting capabilities. Sure, everyone would like to have the ability to pump 15,000 gallons per minute (gpm), but at the same time, not everyone can afford it. Nor does everyone have the available draft to support such a (larger) platform.

Moose Boats, a boat designer and manufacturer in the San Francisco Bay Area, has been awarded a contract from Bellingham Fire Department in Washington State for the construction of a M2-38 Catamaran CBRN Emergency Response and Recovery Vessel. The M2-38 aluminum catamaran will be powered by twin Cummins QSB6.7 425hp turbo diesel propulsion engines coupled to Hamilton HJ292 water-jets via TwinDisc 5075SC marine transmissions. The M2 will be equipped with dual Hale 1,000GPM rated fire pumps…

Vigor Fab has been awarded a contract to build a fireboat for the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD). Construction of the 88’x’25x’14’ vessel is scheduled to begin this fall in Seattle. Designed by Jensen Maritime Consultants, the fireboat will have a top speed of 11.5 knots in full load condition and accommodate up to three crew members and four firefighters aboard the vessel. The fireboat engines are EPA Tier III certified Cummins QSK19-M, which have a maximum engine horsepower of 750 bhp at 1800 rpm. Its firefighting system consists of six Stang fire monitors, which will be supplied with water and foam from three 6,000 gpm fire pumps. “We’ve been aggressively ramping up our ability to fabricate complex vessels.

ALMAR by North River Boats of Roseburg Oregon recently built and launched the first of three 29 x 10 ft. Liberty Walk Around vessels destined for the San Francisco area. The Liberty family of boats features a Wing Hybrid Foam/Air Fender protecting the exterior perimeter of the boat. Capable of speeds greater than 46 knots, this is a high speed craft designed for pursuit, quick maneuvering and excellent sea keeping capabilities. The first of these boats was built for the San Francisco Fire Department and will serve as a rescue platform working near the Golden Gate Bridge.

Moose Boats, a boat designer and manufacturer in the San Francisco Bay Area, delivered a M2-37 Catamaran Fire Rescue Boat to West Pierce Fire and Rescue in University Place, WA. The new 2,000 Gallon Per Minute rated 37 foot vessel is the most powerful M2 Series fire fighting boat that Moose Boats has built to date. The all aluminum catamaran is powered by twin 425hp Cummins turbo diesel engines coupled to twin Hamilton 292 water-jets with dual 1,000 Gallon Per Minute Hale Fire Pumps.

Moose Boats, a boat designer and manufacturer in the San Francisco Bay Area, delivered the 70th Moose Boat built, a M2-37 Catamaran Patrol Boat to San Francisco Police Department. The M2-37 all aluminum catamaran will be powered by twin Cummins QSB6.7L 425hp turbo diesel engines coupled to twin Hamilton HJ292 water-jets. The cabin is outfitted with shock mitigating seating for three personnel, a generous workstation, an array of Furuno navigation equipment, Motorola and Icom communications equipment and FLIR gyro-stabilized thermal imaging equipment with a dedicated Nauticomp display screen.

Fireboat to be Equipped with Six Fire Monitors and 26 Manifold Valves for High-Volume Water and/or Foam Firefighting. Jensen Maritime Consultants, Inc., a Crowley company, has been chosen to design a custom "super pumper" fireboat to enhance the City of San Francisco Fire Department's (SFFD) marine fire fighting and response capabilities on water. This high-volume water and foam pumping NFPA Type II fireboat will feature six fire monitors and 26 manifold valves, allowing for more than 16…

Moose Boats Announces Fire Boat Contract Award from West Pierce Fire and Rescue. Moose Boats, a boat designer and manufacturer in the San Francisco Bay Area, has been awarded a new contract from West Pierce Fire and Rescue in University Place, WA for the construction of a M2-37 Catamaran Fire Rescue Boat. The M2-37 is a 37’-0” aluminum catamaran powered by newly introduced twin Cummins 6.7ltr 425hp turbo diesels and is propelled by Hamilton 292 water jets. The vessel will provide West Pierce Fire and Rescue with fire fighting, rescue, dive and shore landing capabilities.

Moose Boats Awarded New Contract for City of New Orleans CBRNE Fire Rescue Vessel. Moose Boats, a boat designer and manufacturer in the San Francisco Bay Area, has been awarded a new contract from the New Orleans Fire Department for the construction of a M3-36 Monohull CBRNE Fire Rescue Boat. The M3 is a new product line for Moose Boats and incorporates the builder’s established design and quality reputation in a more compact platform than the M1 and M2 Catamaran Vessels. The M3-36 is a 36’-6” aluminum monohull powered by twin Yamaha 350hp four stroke outboard engines.

Hornblower Cruises & Events' employees have led a movement among San Francisco's sailing and boating community to celebrate Spirit of Fleet Week in lieu of the cancellation of this weekend's events. Bringing together historic and recreation vessels, a Parade of Ships is planned for October 6 and 7 at 3:00 p.m. After learning the fate of this year's Fleet Week, Hornblower employees searched for another venue to express their appreciation to America's Armed Forces and raise money for the American Red Cross Relief Fund. Fleet Week charters and cruises will offer military personnel free admission and their family members a 50 percent discount on cruises. Each cruise will feature a tribute to military personnel, and 10 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross.