Chicago Fire Department News

Louisiana-based boat builder Metal Shark is building two welded-aluminum fireboats for Anne Arundel County Fire Department in Maryland.The new 50 Defiant NXT monohull pilothouse fireboats were designed by Metal Shark’s in-house engineering team and are now under construction at the company’s Franklin, La. shipyard. The newbuilds were ordered to replace the department's 20-year-old main fireboat, Lady Anne, delivered from MetalCraft Marine in 2023. The new vessels will offer faster speeds enabling shorter response times…

Shipbuilder Metal Shark has introduced the 38 Defiant NXT, described as a next-generation welded aluminum monohull pilothouse model based on the company’s 38 Defiant platform. The first new vessel, “Fire Boat 2,” has been delivered to Orange Beach Fire Rescue in Alabama.Since 2011, Metal Shark has delivered over 100 legacy model 38 Defiant vessels, in a wide range of configurations to fire departments, law enforcement agencies, the US Coast Guard and Navy, and multiple foreign…

A Chicago woman was sentenced in federal court Thursday for making a false distress call nearly two years ago which led to several agencies launching a dangerous search and rescue operation in Lake Michigan off of Rogers Park Beach. Leona Chewning, 24, was sentenced to 180 days of community confinement, three years of probation and $13,613 in restitution for knowingly and willfully causing the Coast Guard to attempt to save lives and property when no help was needed, in violation of Title 14, U.S. Code, section 88(c). Chewning pled guilty at her arraignment before U.S. District Judge Charles Norgle in federal court in Chicago in January. Shortly after 9 p.m. Feb.

Willard Marine, Inc., has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with SeaArk Marine, Inc., to build all of its commercial and military boat models, of which 7,000 have been sold worldwide since SeaArk Marine’s founding nearly 60 years ago. Based in Monticello, Ark., SeaArk Marine is family owned and was operated by the McClendon family beginning in 1959, and they experienced great success delivering boats to all 50 states, every U.S. held territory, and over 70 countries around the world.

The Coast Guard says it is continuing its response to the grounded towing vessel 'Kimberly Selvick' in Lake Michigan off of Burnahm Park.The vessel remains partially submerged, while the two barges that broke free from the tug Monday afternoon have been removed and towed to Calumet Harbor Fleeting. The vessel began taking on water and became partially submerged while trying to retrieve the two barges. Four people aboard the tug were evacuated by a rescue crew from the Chicago Fire Department Marine Unit. No injuries were reported. An overflight of the area revealed  a 10-foot by 100-foot sheen near the vessel. Initial inspections indicated that the sheen was caused by small quantities of residual oil waste from the tug’s bilge and not from fuel onboard.

The U.S. Coast Guard and members of the Chicago Fire Department responded Monday afternoon to the grounding of the vessel Kimberly Selvick and two attached barges about one quarter mile east of Burnham Park in Chicago. A rescue crew from the Chicago Fire Department Marine Unit successfully evacuated four crew members from the vessel. No injuries or pollution have been reported. At 4:42 p.m. a Sector Lake Michigan communications watchstander received a call over VHF-FM channel 16 from a crew member of the Kimberly Selvick reporting it had run aground while trying to retrieve two barges that broke free, and that the vessel was taking on water. The vessel is 55-foot tug and was pushing one rock barge and one crane barge at the time of the incident.

In April 2011, The Chicago Fire Department took delivery of a new Fireboat to replace the aging Victor L. Schlaeger. The vessel was named in memory of Firefighter Christopher Wheatley, who lost his life in active duty in 2010. The new vessel was designed by Robert Allan Ltd., Naval Architects of Vancouver BC, and was built by Hike Metal Products of (serendipitously!) Wheatley, Ontario. This fireboat is one of several fireboats designed by Robert Allan Ltd. and built in Canada for US cities in recent years…

On Feb. 16, Fraser Shipyards Inc. President and COO Jim Korthals, briefed Rep. David Obey, D.-Wis. on how the shipyard will use the $2m the congressman secured for the City of Superior to assist with the shipyard’s continued upgrades and repairs to its facilities. The company will initiate the work as soon as funding is disbursed, ultimately employing an additional 15 to 20 skilled workers throughout the project. “This project will help ensure Fraser remains competitive, so it can continue to employ people long into the future,” said Obey. “This is a great example of private industry working cooperatively with government at every level, federal, state and local.” Obey and Sen.

With Rear Admiral Thomas H. Gilmour of the United States Coast Guard looking on, the Passenger Vessel Association named Diana Jones of Wendella the 2003 recipient of the prestigious Roger Murphy National Safety Award. Nearly 500 association members, who were gathered in New Orleans, recognized Ms. Jones for rescuing three people from the Chicago River, in two separate incidents on the same day! On the morning of June 25, 2003 Ms. Jones, along with Captain Michael Mackey were working aboard the RiverBus Alpha when the screams of bystanders alerted them to two men struggling in the Chicago River. Racing to the rescue, Ms. Jones, despite being a biscuit under a hundred pounds, pulled both men to safety and rendered assistance until the arrival of the Chicago Fire Department.