California's major ports have long traditions of maintaining dedicated fireboats, and, soon after Al Qaeda's attack on September 1st, 2001, FEMA started issuing port security grants equipping fireboats for California's smaller ports, that are also equipped to work when hazardous materials have been released.[1][2][3]
image | city | first boat | number of boats |
pumping capacity of most powerful boat |
notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
Long Beach, California | 1942, Charles S. Windham[4] | 4 | 41,000 gpm[5] | |
San Diego, California | 1919, Bill Kettner[6] | 6 | All six vessels have modest capacity -- the smallest is operated by the city's lifeguard department. | ||
![]() |
San Francisco, California | 1878, Governor Irwin | 3 | 18,000 gpm | |
Los Angeles, California | |||||
San Rafael, California | 2016 Confidence[7] | 1 | The $50,000 cost of this used vessel was paid for through a grant from a local charity.[7] | ||
Alameda, California | 2001 Big Jim LeMoine | 2 | 500 gpm | The Big Jim LeMoine was retired in 2008, and replaced by the superior, but still small Deanna Jo in 2014. |