Name: Fireboat Three Forty-ThreeLength: 140 feetWeight: 500 tonsCruising Speed: 12 knotsResponse Speed: 17.4 knotsEst. Service Life: 50 years New York City’s fire department—including its fleet of fireboats—must be prepared for unthinkable emergencies. (Fireboat pumps, due to infrastructure damage, were responders’ only available source of water during the terrorist attacks in 2001.) This year, FDNY fielded two $27 million vessels, mostly paid for by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, that can operate in areas tainted by chemical, biological or nuclear agents. The crew, protected by an air-purification system and a network of air locks, can effectively respond from inside the vessel. Media Platforms Design Team1. PropulsionFour 2000-hp main engines run a controllable-pitch propeller system that can operate in shallow water. 2. Main DeckThe deck includes a 17-foot rescue boat, a crane with a telescoping ladder and water connections for onshore hoses.3. DeckhouseFirefighters in protective suits access air locks to re-enter the ship without contaminating it. The area also has decontamination showers and a medical bay.4. Command CenterOfficers coordinate with off-board responders via a set of six radios, including one that is interoperable with satellite, landline and cellular phones.5. Fire PumpsFour pumps can spray a combined 50,000 gallons of water per minute at 150 psi—twice the capacity of older ships.6. Bow ThrusterA bow thruster with dual counter- rotating propellers maintains the vessel’s position during operations.Joe PappalardoJoe Pappalardo is a contributing writer at Popular Mechanics and author of the new book, Spaceport Earth: The Reinvention of Spaceflight.
