Lake Assault Boats, Superior, Wis., recently assisted the Superior Fire Department in its response to a fire on an ore boat at Fraser Shipyards. At the time, a team from Lake Assault was in the final stages of testing the 28'x9'6" fireboat destined for the Newburgh, N.Y. After its successful assist — by providing a water supply for the fire department — the boat was transported to New York where it went into service with the Newburgh Fire Department.
“Before shipping to customers, we carefully test and inspect every fireboat. This was the first time, though, that we’ve ever responded to a live fire with a craft during its final preparations for delivery,” Chad DuMars, Assault Boats vice president of operations said in a statement. “We are very proud that the boat performed flawlessly with Superior FD, and are of course very happy that it’s now on duty with the city of Newburgh Fire Department, protecting vital portions of the Hudson River.”
The new fireboat is a landing craft-style hull configuration that features a 63" hydraulically operated bow door, a fully-enclosed CBRNE-rated pilothouse (with HEPA filtration and positive pressure system), and twin Honda 250-hp outboard motors. The craft also sports a 2,000-gpm Darley fire pump, foam capabilities, and built-in hose storage compartments. The boat is equipped with a full array of electronics, including Garmin GPS, sonar, and a forward-looking infrared system (FLIR).
The fireboat protects large waterfront sections of the Hudson River north of New York City. “It’s pretty interesting that our Lake Assault fireboat helped put out a fire before it was even delivered,” said Ed Petricek, assistant fire chief with the Newburgh Fire Department and a member of the committee that spec’d the boat. “We first learned about Lake Assault at the New York chiefs show some years ago and, once we were awarded a FEMA port securities grant, we didn’t waste any time moving forward. Our firefighters are really excited to have this new Lake Assault fireboat. It has improved our on-the-water response capability, big time.”
The fireboat can carry a combination of persons and cargo up to 4,000 lbs. and has a 150-gal. fuel tank. The boat itself weighs 9,500 lbs. Deck structure and component material are aluminum, consisting of 5083 and 5086 aluminum alloy with thicknesses of .190", .250" and .375" that are fully welded to the hull and all deck height transverse bulkheads and longitudinal girders to contribute to the strength of the hull. The floor is supported by 2x2 square tubing.
