• News

First of two RAnger V-3300 fireboats now in service

Written by Nick Blenkey
image description

AUGUST 23, 2016 — Protector, the first of two Robert Allan Ltd. RAnger V-3300 fireboats is now in service in the Port of Long Beach, CA, with the second vessel, Vigilance, expected in mid-2017.

Robert Allan Ltd. was awarded a contract to prepare plans and specifications for a pair of fireboats for Long Beach in 2011. Due to operational proximity, the Los Angeles fireboat Warner L. Lawrence (a 2001 Robert Allan Ltd. design) heavily influenced the owner’s requirements.

Built at Foss Maritime’s Seattle shipyard, the new Long Beach fireboats feature Voith cycloidal drives in a tractor configuration, giving them exceptional maneuverability and the ability to fight fires in any orientation.

High speed was not a priority for this project; low wake and good seakeeping were deemed to be of greater importance.

During the design phase, Robert Allan Ltd.’s in-house CFD capabilities optimized the hull form to ensure the vessel met two important criteria: minimum wake when traveling both ahead and astern at 8 knots and good heavy weather seakeeping ability.

The total pumping capacity of each vessel is 41,000 gpm, with the single largest monitor capable of delivering 12,000 gpm a distance of almost 600 feet.

The vessels are also capable of providing over 30,000 gpm of water shore-side through 4” hoses to support land-based firefighting operations.

The new fireboats are equipped with CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense) capacities, comprised of a citadel enclosure, specialized HVAC filters, a decontamination shower, and chemical detectors.

The vessels also include a Command Information Center that enables them to perform on-scene command duties and communicate with other agencies.
20 Protector starboard

Categories: News Tags: , , ,

Leave a Reply