Vigilance (fireboat)
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Vigilance is a fireboat operated by Long Beach, California. She is the second of two large fireboats Long Beach commissioned and the largest on North America's West Coast.
Vigilance and Protector were designed by Robert Allan Limited, a firm known for designing many widely admired tugboats, fireboats and support vessels.[1]
She is propelled by a pair of Voith-Schneider propellers, an advanced propulsion system that bears some resemblance to helicopter propulsion, and enable instantaneous changes in the propeller thrust.[2] She is 108 feet long, with a maximum speed of 13 knots. Her ten water cannon can pump 41,000 gallons per minute, more than four times as much as her predecessors. She is able to throw her water up to 236 ft (71.93 m) in the air, and up to 580 ft (176.78 m) away.
In addition to firefighting duties Fireboat 20 and her sister have air-tight crew compartments and a decontamination chamber, so they are equipped to respond to the releases of hazardous material, in particular they can respond to radiological, poison gas, or germ warfare attacks.[3] The vessels pumps can de-water flooded structures. The vessels are highly automated, and require only a crew of four. They can transport 12 additional individuals. Part of the cabin can serve as an emergency infirmary. The pair of vessels was budgeted at $51 million.[3]
Operational career
Vigilance was commissioned on November 13, 2017.[4]
Vigilance and her sister ship Protector helped celebrate the 2019 Great Pacific Air Show.[5]
References
- ↑ Rob Almeida. "First Look: Port of Long Beach's Powerful New Fireboat", GCaptain, 2013-08-29. Retrieved on 2014-05-17. “Currently taking shape at Foss Maritime's shipyard in Seattle are the Port of Long Beach's new Robert Allan-designed fireboats. Once delivered in 2014, these will be amongst the world's most powerful fireboats.”
- ↑ Powerful fireboat christened at Foss Maritime, Marine Log, 2014-04-15. “Fireboat 20 and its sister are replacements for two older fireboats, the Liberty and Challenger.”
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 David Krapf. Two enhanced fireboats for the Port of Long Beach, Workboat.com, 2013-10-01. “In addition to firefighting, the new boats will be capable of water rescue, including vessel dewatering, towing and dive support. EMS and paramedic operations will also be incorporated. And the vessels will be equipped for detection of and self-protection from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agents.”
- ↑ Kirk Moore. Port of Long Beach commissions second Foss-built fireboatBy Kirk Moore on NOVEMBER 13,, Work boat, 2017-11-13. Retrieved on 2019-10-03. “The Vigilance joined sistership Protector, replacing the late 1980s fireboats Challenger and Liberty, designed when the port was typically serviced 4,500-TEU capacity containerships. Now Long Beach regularly sees 14,000-TEU ships and expects larger vessels, like the 18,000- to 22,000-TEU ships planned by carrier CMA CGM.”
- ↑ Rachel Jordan. Come aboard the biggest fire boat on the West Coast, ABC News, 2019-10-02. Retrieved on 2019-10-02. “Both Vigilance and Protector measure 108-feet-long and 38-feet-wide.”