The following is the text of a news release from MetalCraft Marine:
(NEW YORK) — MetalCraft Marine Inc. (MCM) would like to congratulate the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) on the completion of their new Firestorm 70. The newest member of New York’s bravest will be christened William M. Feehan in late October.
FDNY has had a long history of serving the needs of their community dating back to 1648. It wasn't until 1865 that the modern-day fire department was first established. The professional force was needed to better provide protection to the fast-growing and increasingly complex metropolis. The first reference to the nomenclature F-D-N-Y was made in 1870.
This particular version of MCM’s 70-footer is scaled down slightly to fit the FDNY’s needs. The traditional Firestorm 70 is 4 feet wider, slightly longer and has a much larger cabin/tool room.
The name of the new boat holds special meaning to FDNY. Feehan passed away on the job that fateful morning terrorists flew hijacked jetliners into the twin towers on Sept. 11, 2001. At 71, he was the oldest of the 343 firefighters who perished.
Feehan was a blaze-battling legend in his own time, heralded for his intuitive knowledge and cunning in fighting fires. He was thought to have known the location of every fire hydrant in the Big Apple and remains the only FDNY member to have held every rank in the department, from probationary firefighter on up to fire commissioner. The nameplate held high on the cabin of their new fireboat is milled from an I-beam lifted from the rubble and ruin of the World Trade Center 14 years ago.
"He was a fireman's fireman," Salvatore Pastore said over the phone from Brooklyn. Pastore is a lieutenant with Marine Company 6 as well as FDNY liaison with MCM for the new boat.
"We'll never forget any of the firefighters we lost that day," said 28-year veteran Pastore. "But this lets 'Chief' Feehan's family know that we're remembering him in a special way."
“Working with the FDNY team on the build of the William M. Feehan has been a tremendous honor for us at MetalCraft. With the input of the FDNY personnel, we have implemented several new features on this fireboat. The FS70 is our flagship vessel, and the William M. Freehan is undoubtedly our most advanced one to date,” said Michael Allen, MetalCraft’s general manager. “We hope the FDNY and people they protect will benefit from this vessel for many years to come.”
MetalCraft Marine is a fully integrated designer and manufacturer of custom high-performance fire, rescue, patrol, research and other specialized work boats. With over 630 hulls built to date, in-service vessels include the Boston, Port of Houston, Washington, D.C., and Miami fire departments, along with U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, Panama Canal Authority and many other ports around the globe.
Dimensions: L: 66’ B:18’ D: 3’
Mission: Emergency response, patrol, mobile command center, firefighting, CBRN capable
Crew size: Four (pilot, engineer, two firefighters)
Hull: Aluminum monohull
Performance: Maximum speed 41 knots; cruising speed 32 knots
Propulsion: (3) C-18 Caterpillar @ 1,150 hp each; (3) HJ 403 Hamilton jets with hoods connected by Z-F transmission 665; Kohler 20 kw
Additional power plant: C-9 Caterpillar @ 510 hp dedicated to fire pump
Pumps: (2) Darley model ZSP 3,000 gpm @ 150 psi that can dispense foam to one or both pumps
Capacities: Fuel, twin 500 gallon tanks; potable water, 25 gallons
Firefighting equipment: Stang fire monitor, roof mounted and remote operated with 5,000 gpm at 80 psi; (4) Elkhart Brass Spit-Fire monitors with 2,000 gpm at 80 psi each; (2) Storz 6-inch land supply connection; 300-pound Purple K dry chemical fire suppression agent; Feecon 1.5 foam system
Navigation/communications: Furuno TZ Touch; (9) radios; Simrad Sidescan sonar
Accommodations: Pressurized filter system for on-demand CBRN cabin; (5) Shox seats; raked-forward windshield; two berths, refrigerator, microwave, head, shower, sink, lockable storage
EMS support: (2) primary patient berths in V-berth; additional patient berth in main cabin; SCBA and SCUBA storage
Classifications: ABYC, ABS
Other features: Hinged mast/radar arch; FLIR model Voyager III; (2) Carlisle & Finch spotlights, 25 million candlepower; (2) 10-passenger Zodiac life rafts; towing bitt; FLOCS (fast lube oil change system)
