The
Philadelphia Fire Department
The Philadelphia Fire Department (PFD) provides fire protection and emergency medical services (EMS) to the city of Philadelphia. The PFD's official mission is to protect public safety by quick and professional response to emergencies and through ...
started operating the
fireboat
A fireboat or Fire-float Pyronaut, fire-float is a specialized watercraft with pumps and nozzles designed for fighting shoreline and shipboard fires. The first fireboats, dating to the late 18th century, were tugboats, retrofitted with ...
''Independence'' in 2007.
[
The vessel was purchased for $5 million, $4.5 million of which came from a ]FEMA Port Security Grant
Since 2002, the Department of Homeland Security has provided Port Security Grants to ports within the United States, to build fireboats. These vessels are thought to help keep the entire United States safer, because, in addition to fighting local ...
.
On September 10, 2010, both the ''Independence'' and a smaller fireboat, ''Fireboat Seven'' from Westville, New Jersey
Westville is a borough in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 4,264, a decrease of 24 (−0.6%) from the 2010 census count of 4,288, which in turn reflected a d ...
, responded to a dock fire in Paulsboro, New Jersey
Paulsboro is a Borough (New Jersey), borough situated on the banks of the Delaware River in Gloucester County, New Jersey, Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United State ...
.[
''Fireboat Seven'' arrived first and put the fire out prior to the arrival of Independence. ''Independence'' received orders to turn around when it was near the dock. She reversed quickly generating a large wake which apparently caused ''Fireboat Seven'' to collide with shore-side equipment.
Westville's insurance adjuster determined ''Fireboat Seven'' was damaged beyond repair.][ Having initially failed to reach a settlement with the City of Philadelphia, on July 30, 2014, Westville filed a lawsuit in Federal Court. Philadelphia countersued. Philadelphia settled on March 31, 2016 for $117,000.
]
See also
* Fireboats of Philadelphia
References
{{Reflist, refs=
[
{{cite news
, url = http://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/2016/03/31/westville-philadelphia-fire-boat/82471904/
, title = Westville's 'war' finally comes to an end
, publisher = ]Courier Post
The ''Courier-Post'' is a morning daily newspaper that serves South Jersey in the Delaware Valley. It is based in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and serves most of Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties. The paper has 30,313 daily paid subscri ...
, date = 2016-03-31
, author = Jim Walsh
, archiveurl = https://archive.today/20240528090413/https://www.webcitation.org/72DVrmAHi?url=http://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/2016/03/31/westville-philadelphia-fire-boat/82471904/
, archivedate = 2024-05-28
, url-status = live
, quote = England repelling the Spanish Armada in 1588. The United States smashing a Japanese fleet at Midway in 1942. And for the last six years, Westville and Philadelphia fighting over a fire boat.
[
{{cite news
, url = http://articles.philly.com/2014-07-30/news/52192668_1_westville-fire-boat-philadelphia-fire-department
, title = Westville, Phila. battle over fire boat claim
, author = Barbara Boyer
, publisher = ]Philadelphia Inquirer
''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...
, date = 2014-07-30
, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20150920042302/http://articles.philly.com/2014-07-30/news/52192668_1_westville-fire-boat-philadelphia-fire-department
, archivedate = 2015-09-20
, url-status = dead
, quote = According to the lawsuit, on the evening of Sept. 16, 2010, Westville firefighters arrived first in their FB7 vessel, contained the blaze, and advised Philadelphia that further assistance was not needed from the city's boat, the Independence.
[
{{cite news
, url = http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2014/07/westville_suing_philadelphia_for_140k_over_2010_fire_boat_damage.html
, title = Westville suing Philadelphia for $140K over 2010 fire boat damage
, publisher = ]South Jersey Times
The ''South Jersey Times'' is a newspaper serving the South Jersey area of New Jersey.
History
The newspaper began publication on November 4, 2012, following a merger of three affiliated papers, '' Gloucester County Times'', '' The News of Cu ...
, author = Jason Laday
, date = 2014-07-28
, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160919202356/http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2014/07/westville_suing_philadelphia_for_140k_over_2010_fire_boat_damage.html
, archivedate = 2016-09-19
, url-status = live
, quote = Westville's fire boat No. 7 was dispatched to the scene, as was the Independence, a fireboat in the Philadelphia Fire Department's Marine Unit.
[
{{cite news
, url = http://ral.ca/2007/12/20/ranger-2000-class-fireboat-independence-philadelphia-robert-allan-ltd/
, title = Ranger 2000 class fireboat Independence for Philadelphia from Robert Allan Ltd.
, work = ]Robert Allan Limited
Robert Allan Ltd. is Canada's oldest privately owned consulting Naval Architectural firm, established in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1930. Their experience includes designs for vessels of almost all types, from small fishing boats to ocean- ...
, date = 2007-12-20
, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170421141132/http://ral.ca/2007/12/20/ranger-2000-class-fireboat-independence-philadelphia-robert-allan-ltd/
, archivedate = 2017-04-21
, accessdate = 2018-09-05
, url-status = live
, quote = This new fast response, shallow-draft fireboat, which is of all-welded aluminium construction, is designed to specifically address the fire fighting and rescue needs of the Philadelphia region waterfront.
[
{{cite news
, url = http://www.maritimejournal.com/news101/tugs,-towing-and-salvage/tug_designer_finds_independence_in_philadelphia
, title = Tug designer finds {{'''Independence''{{' in Philadelphia
, work = Maritime Journal
, date = 2008-01-27
, accessdate = 2018-09-05
, quote = Shortly before Christmas the City of Philadelphia Fire Department commissioned ' Independence', the new RAnger 2000 Class fireboat designed by Robert Allan Ltd and built by Derektor Shipyards of Bridgeport in Connecticut.
]
Fireboats of the United States