Damen delivers fireboat to Amsterdam Fire Department

DECEMBER 20, 2016—The City of Amsterdam Fire Department recently took delivery of the 17.6m firefighting vessel Jan van der Heyde IV from the Dutch shipyard Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld.

The detailed design for the fireboat was supplied by C-Job Naval Architects and Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld executed detailed design, engineering and vessel construction.The fireboat’s namesake, Jan van der Heyde, continues the tradition of the Amsterdam Fire Department of naming its vessels after the founder of the current firefighting method, organization and technology. The first vessel to take the name was a floating steam injection vessel that dates back to the 1870’s.

“In a way you can look at this boat as a big floating fire pump,” says C-Job Naval Architects Head of Engineering Tim Vlaar, referring to the vessel’s 1,680 m3 per hour pump capacity.

Since the speed of water traffic on Amsterdam’s canals is limited, the Fire Department does not envision the vessel as a “first-on-the-scene” responder.“Its main role is to supply the fire trucks on the road with an ample flow of water,” says Vlaar. As well as the ability to provide large quantities of water to teams working on land, the vessel is also equipped to fight multiple fire-types from the water. “The boat does have its own fire monitors, which will certainly be used for fighting fires on ships or near the water,” he says.

The Jan van der Heyde IV is versatile. Supplementing its firefighting duties, for example, the Jan van der Heyde IV is equipped with two 180 m³ per hour pumps that will be used to pump water out of flooded boat houses or other vessels. Furthermore, the vessel can also be used as a dive platform.

In terms of propulsion, the fireboat has a maximum speed of 15 km per hour. This is achieved by two independent azimuth stern thrusters powered by twin 368 kW main engines. Maneuverability is enhanced with a single 44 kW bow thruster.“Amsterdam’s canals are quite shallow—and there are a substantial amount of bridges too,” explains Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld Project Manager Roel Foolen. “Therefore both air draft and ship’s draft had an impact on the final design.”

“We are very proud to have been involved in this rewarding project—an excellent example of how a custom-made vessel meets a client’s very specific requirements,” says Foolen. “It also demonstrates the diversity of Damen’s construction capabilities – we are so much more than just standard vessels.”