The first of two new fireboats under construction by Foss Maritime for the Port of Long Beach (POLB) was dedicated in a blessing ceremony earlier this month at Foss Maritime's Seattle Shipyard.
The vessel, named Fireboat 20, is being readied for service and is scheduled for delivery to Long Beach, Calif., this summer.
Fireboat 20 has a Voith Schneider cycloidal propulsion system that allows for exceptional maneuverability, a firefighting system with a pumping capacity of 41,000 gals. per minute and seven Caterpillar engines. It is designed to be a state-of-the-art command center, with a CBRN System that protects the firefighters from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.
A second fireboat for the POLB is under construction and will be delivered in late 2014 or early 2015.
