Moose Boats delivers powerful new fireboat

Moose Boats says 38-foot fireboat is the most powerfyl version of its M38 catamaran fireboat it has ver built. [Photo: Moose Boats]

As demand for fireboats continues to build, Vallejo,Calif., based Moose Boats LLC reports that it has delivered the most powerful version of its M2-38 catamaran fireboat thus far built to the Alameda City Fire Department (AFCD) in Alameda County, California.

Located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the City of Alameda is known as “the Island City” and AFCD cross staffs its fire boat with a rescue unit, two water tenders, a dive team and an OES Type-1 engine company.

The department’s new Moose Boats M2-38 catamaran is powered by twin Cummins turbo charged QSB 6.7L 480 hp engines with Twin Disc transmissions driving Hamiltonjets HJX 29 water jets.

The build contains two Darley 2,000 GPM fire pumps powered by PTO systems that enable full control at the helm while delivering close to 5,000 GPM — a water delivery usually only seen in the 50 foot or larger vessel class. This pumping capacity significantly increases the AFCD’s emergency water supply and fire suppression capabilities.

Overall vessel speed is up to 38 knots with a cruise speed of 30 knots. The catamaran design allows for optimal maneuvering with lateral crawl to port and to starboard and with absolute stability. Included in the design is an extended cab for water rescue and dive team equipment and a separate navigational/comms station located behind the helm.

On the port side, there is ample storage with a full 8-foot-long patient bench. Instruments include: four Raymarine 12-inch MFD screens with chart plotter/radar overlay, FLIR, Reverse Image Camera, ICOM VHF radios, Motorola radios and Auto-Maskin Engine Displays

For night time operations, the vessel is equipped with thirteen 20-inch Rigid light bars casting over 15,000 raw lumens per light,

“This build was a real challenge, and couldn’t have been accomplished without great support from our vendors,” says Moose Boats GM Steve Dirkes. “Robert Bowe at Cummins really helped us through the whole build, and brought Auto-Maskin, MER Equipment, and American Vulkan to the table to help get this powerful firefighting system approved by all parties.”

Task Force Tips provided four monitors and ten handline outlets to complement two 4.5 inch threaded discharges and two 5 inch Storz discharges for large diameter hoses, enabling the boat to pump water in any situation.