Fireboats of San Francisco

As a major port a number of fireboats of San Francisco have been operated by the city of San Francisco since 1878.[1]

As of October 2014, San Francisco is currently building a modern fireboat, as yet unnamed.[1][2][3]

fireboats of San Francisco
image name entered
service 		retired notes
Governor Irwin 1878 1909
  • Participated in 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire.[4][5]
  • The Governor Irwin was owned by the State of California, she could only pump a modest 1000 gallons per minute.[4]
Governor Markham
  • Participated in 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire.
David Scannell 1909 1954
  • Steam powered.[1]
Dennis T. Sullivan 1909 1954
Phoenix 1955
  • Was scheduled to be retired, as a cost-saving measure, but was still in service when San Francisco area was hit by the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake.[7]
  • Remains in service.[8][9][10]
Guardian 1990
  • The Guardian was donated to the city by private citizens after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The pumps of the Phoenix played a key role in fire prevention in areas where the earthquake had broken water mains.
  • The vessel had previously served in Vancouver, British Columbia.
new vessel 2015?
  • Will be capable of pumping 18,000 gallons per minute through five water cannons.[3]
  • Unusually, she will be equipped with a stern launch ramp, similar to those US Coast Guard cutters use to deploy pursuit boats to capture smugglers.[3]

United States Navy fireboats USS Leslie, USS Fortune and USS Active were employed to fight the fires triggered in the aftermath of the disastrous 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.[11][12] These vessels were not operated by the San Francisco Fire Department, which did not have any active fireboats at the time of the disaster.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Joanne Hayes-White. "New fireboat project". San Francisco Fire Department. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  2. ↑ Cheryl Jennings (2014-10-13). "Lessons learned from Loma Prieta earthquake". ABC. Archived from the original on 2014-10-14. San Francisco is now building a third more modern fire boat, but still needs funding for more portable hydrants.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Peter Ong (2014-12-16). "Meet SFFD’s New Fireboat Technology". Marinelink. Archived from the original on 2014-12-17. Retrieved 2014-12-16. 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.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "San Francisco Fire Department Museum ~ Fireboats ~ Governor Irwin". Guardiansofthecity.org. Archived from the original on 2012-03-04. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
  5. ↑ "San Francisco Fire Department 1906 Earthquake and Fire Operations". Sfmuseum.org. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
  6. ↑ Erika Lee, Judy Yung (200). Angel Island: Immigrant Gateway to America. Oxford University Press. p. 300. ISBN 9780199752799. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  7. ↑ Donna Peck (2001). San Francisco: Romantic Diversions in and Around the City. Globe Pequot. pp. 73, 161. ISBN 9780762708468. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  8. ↑ Brent Begin (November 9, 2009). "New skin for an old fire station". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Guralnick Designs City's New Fireboat". Marine Digest 58: 42. 1980.
  10. ↑ "SFFD Fireboats: Phoenix". Retrieved March 30, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Navy Firefighting Operations". Sfmuseum.org. 1906-04-30. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
  12. ↑ "USFS Chicago 1906 Fire Operations". Sfmuseum.org. Retrieved 2012-03-08.