Moose Boats, Vallejo, Calif., has delivered a new 46' fire rescue catamaran to the San Francisco Fire Department airport division, expanding the agency's emergency response capabilities for the waters surrounding San Francisco International Airport.
The M1-46 catamaran is the second Moose-built M1 vessel assigned to the airport, allowing the department to maintain continuous response capability while one vessel undergoes maintenance. The new boat replaces an earlier M1 platform while retaining the same operating layout and controls, enabling crews already familiar with the existing vessel to transition with minimal additional training.
The airport division provides fire protection, emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, water rescue operations, fire prevention, and code enforcement throughout the airport.
In an interview with WorkBoat in April, Moose Boats vice president of sales Ken Royal said the vessel is among the company's most mission-specific builds.
"The primary use of that vessel is specifically to act in the capacity of a rescue vessel in the event of an airliner down," Royal said.
Royal said the vessel would be stationed at San Francisco International Airport and outfitted for mass rescue operations, carrying 50 life rafts capable of holding 10 people each.
The 46' aluminum catamaran is powered by twin Cummins QSC 8.3 diesel engines rated 600 hp each. It is equipped with a fire pump, storage for more than 50 inflatable life rafts, and a climate-controlled cabin with a dedicated patient care bench. The vessel will be based at the airport's Marine Emergency Response Facility near Seaplane Harbor to support rapid response to incidents on the water adjacent to the airport's runways.
According to San Francisco Fire, the Marine Emergency Response Facility is believed to be the only dedicated emergency water rescue facility serving a West Coast airport.
The department will retain its existing Moose Boats M1 as a reserve vessel, allowing emergency response operations to continue during scheduled maintenance periods for the new boat.
