New fireboat something Seattle can shoot for

It's a state-of-the-art fireboat headed for Los Angeles, but most of those who came to see the gleaming white vessel at Colman Dock yesterday wore Seattle Fire Department uniforms and were on hand to watch the new boat demonstrate firefighting abilities beyond anything the city's own boats can do.

"It's probably as modern and high tech as you can get," Seattle fire Chief Gary Morris said. Pointing to Seattle's 20-year-old Chief Seattle fireboat bobbing at a nearby dock, he added, "That's a go-kart and this is a full-sized SUV."


		Jim Bryant / P-I
	A fireboat built for the Los Angeles Fire Department turns on its water canons off Pier 66 yesterday. The Seattle Fire Department hopes to someday have a similar vessel.

Los Angeles Fire Boat No. 2, the new Los Angeles Fire Department boat built by the Nichols Bros. Boat Builders at Whidbey Island, is capable of pouring 38,000 gallons of water a minute on a fire from enormous monitors that dwarf the largest aboard the Chief Seattle, which has a maximum capacity of 7,500 gallons a minute.

The boat also boasts a propulsion system similar to those used by tugboats, giving it precise maneuvering abilities.

"We can literally turn on a dime," said L.A. Fire Department Capt. Doug Moore, who spent nine years working on the design of the vessel. Moore began by identifying the hazards in the Port of Los Angeles, then came up with the tools needed to overcome those hazards before designing a vessel that could carry those tools.

"It's sort of reverse engineering," said Seattle fire Lt. Marc Diaz, who supervises one of the department's fireboat crews and was one of the many firefighters who came out to see the boat on Elliott Bay.

The 105-foot boat carries diving equipment, a rescue boat, 6,000 gallons of foam for fuel fires, and has a retractable platform and an extension ladder and crane. There are bunks for patients and even an area to treat hypothermia victims.

And it came in under budget, at $8.9 million.

"We're probably looking for something quite like this," said Seattle City Councilman Jim Compton, chairman of the Police and Fire Committee.

The Seattle Fire Department currently has two fireboats, the Chief Seattle housed at Station 5 on Elliott Bay and the Alki, kept at Station 3 at Fishermen's Terminal on the freshwater side of the Ballard Locks.

Although the 96-foot Chief Seattle is almost 20 years old, the Alki, a 123-foot steel-hulled boat, is 75 years old.

"We've got two aging boats," Compton said, adding that the Alki is "an antique. You can't view it as a serious tool in the 21st century."

Until recently, both boats were kept at Station 5, with the Alki serving as a backup whenever the Chief Seattle needed work.

But after fires destroyed several vessels on Lake Union early last year, the city decided to move one of the boats to fresh water to cut response times to lakeside fires.

Morris said the need for new fireboats is clear.

Seattle has one of the largest ports on the West Coast, a thriving cruise ship business, a steady flow of container ships and ferry service. Then there are the miles of shoreline, Morris said.

"We've been very lucky, with the risks we have on the water," he said.

Fire officials point out that a fireboat can be a primary source of water to fight fires even on land when a major catastrophe disrupts the water mains.

When the money does come, Seattle likely will follow the Los Angeles model and have a boat built designed to meet the city's specific needs. Ideas for raising the money include sharing costs with other jurisdictions, applying for federal assistance or asking city residents to approve a bond.

However the money is raised, a new fireboat could be in Seattle's future within the next three years, Compton said.

"I'd really like to build it in Seattle," he added.

P-I reporter Hector Castro can be reached at 206-903-5396 or hectorcastro@seattlepi.com

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