On Sept. 19, La.-based boat builder Metal Shark announced the delivery of the first-of-two new welded-aluminum 50’ fireboats to Anne Arundel County Fire Department, Annapolis, Md.
The vessels will operate across Chesapeake Bay and will be tasked with protecting over 500 miles of shoreline. A Metal Shark press release stated these boats are set to enhance the Department’s ability to respond to emergencies on the water for residents of Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Calvert County, City of Annapolis, Prince George’s County, Queens Anne County on the Eastern Shore, and the United States Naval Academy.
Metal Shark’s engineering team designed the vessels in-house, and vessel construction took place at the company’s Franklin, La. shipyard.
Metal Shark notes the new 50 Defiant NXT monohull pilothouse fireboats offer faster speeds enabling shorter response times, greater pumping volume, and a next-generation design.
While vessel names have yet to be announced, the first fireboat was recently delivered on-water from Louisiana to Maryland by Metal Shark personnel, who then conducted operator training with the Department’s crews.
Metal Shark highlighted the new fireboat features, with a spacious, climate-controlled pilothouse delivering high visibility, a “pillarless glass” with reverse-raked windshield that reduces blind spots compared to conventional pilothouse fireboats with smaller, framed windows, a unique window arrangement, with a second tier of side windows below the beltline providing improved downward-angle visibility, crucial while maneuvering alongside smaller vessels or during man-overboard retrieval, and an overhead skylight array which provides an unobstructed upward view when operating alongside ships or elevated structures, or during helicopter hoisting operations, the company said. The result is mission-enhancing visibility throughout the complete range of firefighting and rescue scenarios.
Firefighting capabilities on the new vessels deliver a flow rate in excess of 8,500 gallons per minute, with twin 3,000 gpm self-priming fire pumps driven via PTO from the main engines. Each pump draws from its own dedicated in-hull sea chest, feeding a central manifold with crossover capability, which in turn supplies the entire system.
From the fire control station at the port helm, flow is directed as desired via electronically-actuated 8” slow-close valves with manual backup. The vessels are each equipped with a remote-operated electric rooftop monitor, two aft-mounted monitors, two aft dual handline outlets, and two 5” Storz hydrant outlets. Additionally, dual 55 gals. aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) reservoirs carry a total of 110 gals. of per vessel.
Metal Shark highlighted that with the acquisition of these new fireboats, Anne Arundel County Fire Department joins a growing list of Metal Shark fire-rescue clients across the country. In less than three years Metal Shark will have delivered new fireboats to City of Virginia Beach Fire Department; Chicago Fire Department; East Chilton Fire Rescue (Alabama); East Lincoln County Fire Department (North Carolina); Everett Fire Department (Massachusetts); Forsyth County Fire Department (Georgia); Marco Island Fire Rescue, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, and Tampa Fire Department (Florida); Massport Fire (Massachusetts); Orange County Sheriff/Fire Department (California); Prince George’s County Fire Department (Maryland); Stafford County Fire (Virginia); St. John County Fire (South Carolina); and numerous others.
“The continued success of our Defiant NXT fireboat platforms has been rewarding to see, and it’s a testament to our commitment to continually review, refine, enhance, and perfect our product offering,” said Metal Shark’s vice president of sales for LE, Fire/Rescue & Specialty Projects, Dean Jones. “We consider our customers to be lifelong partners, and the folks from Anne Arundel have proven to be an absolute pleasure to work with. The mutual trust and respect between our team and theirs resulted in a truly collaborative process, merging their experience with our knowledge base. As a result, these new assets will provide a new level of capabilities, offer increased opportunities for regional inter-agency partnerships, and ultimately redefine maritime safety and response for Anne Arundel County Fire Department and the communities they serve.”
“It is our mission to support those who serve and protect, and it has been an honor and a privilege to help the dedicated men and women of Anne Arundel County Fire Department to upgrade their fireboat fleet,” said Metal Shark CEO Chris Allard. “These high-performance, state of the art vessels will allow crews to respond faster, cover more distance, and do their jobs more efficiently and safely, strengthening the Department’s ability to ensure the safety and well being of the County’s residence and visitors.”
