Hike Metal of Ontario, CA. delivers Chicago’s heavy duty NFPA Type III Fire-Boat. Designed and built to operate year-round in Lake Michigan, the Chicago River, and surrounding harbors. The Fire-Boat will be used to respond to the Chicago Fire Department (CFD), Rescue, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive incidents (CBRNE), Hazmat decontamination, dive operations, and other waterway related responses. Chicago’s Fire-Boat is named the “Christopher Wheatley”, in memory of a fallen 31-year-old Chicago Firefighter who died in the line of duty.

Unique Custom CFD Fire-boat features include ;

•  300 tons; Steel hull with Aluminum superstructure.
•  Twin 1,600hp Caterpillar diesel engines.
•  Two 30 KW diesel powered generators.
•  2,500 gallon diesel tank
•  Two 500 gallon foam tanks
•  Two 7,000 GPM pumps powered by 2-1,000hp Caterpillar Diesels.
•  4 monitors, 3 on the bow, 1 on the stern, stern monitor elevates to a height of 30 feet.
•  Mast can be lowered hydraulically to allow passage under the bridges on the Chicago River system.

The CFD heavy-duty Fire-Boat is designed to break up to 12 inches of ice so it can operate year-round. It can travel at 12 knots or at three knots through ice. The Custom Fire-Boat can be used with scuba divers for rescues, for firefighting with foam or water and as a pumping station to supplement the city’s fire-main supply of water. It can be run with a crew of 5 or up to 10 when fighting a fire. It has a full galley, washrooms, medical room, Hazmat crew protection quarters, and crew accommodations below decks.

One of the 4 monitor nozzles sits on a platform that can be elevated 30 feet, and the force of the powerful spray is enough to blast brick off the side of a building.

The heavy duty custom Fire-Boat represents a year of work at Hike Metal Products Ltd. It is one of many boats the Wheatley, Ontario shipbuilding factory has shipped out of the harbor and is larger than a similar heavy duty Fire-Boat we built and delivered to the city of Baltimore, MD.

Hike Metal has built over 180 custom commercial boats, ships and vessels up to 150′ since 1958. Wespecialize in unique and complex high quality projects ranging from Coast Guard self–righting SAR’s Vessels and Hovercraft, Fire and Police Department Fire Boats and Patrol Boats, Car and Passenger Ferries, Tug, Tow and Pilot Boats, Fishing, Diving and Research ships.

Our modern waterfront shipyard and factoryis strategically located on the North shores of Lake Erie, facilitating the complete construction of vessels up to 100 ft under climate controlled cover while enabling a full program of sea trials prior to delivery. Hike has delivered many turn-key custom commercial steel and aluminum boats and ships to governments, municipalities and private sectors around the world, including the USA, Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean and the Middle East.

Via EPR Network
More Industrial press releases