FDNY Honors 9/11 Hero Feehan at Boat Christening

November 20, 2015 (New York) -- Today at Pier 16 in lower Manhattan the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) honored William M. Feehan by christening and commissioning of the new fireboat William M. Feehan.

Captain Louis Guzzo led the ceremonies which included a number of dignitaries from in and around the FDNY.  William M. Feehan was a FDNY firefighter lost in the September 11 World Trade Center attacks. Feehan, who at 71 was the oldest of 343 firefighters to pass away in the line of duty on September 11, 2001. The vessel’s nameplate, displayed prominently alongside the cabin, is milled from an I-beam lifted from the rubble of the World Trade Center.

Feehan remains the only FDNY member to have held every rank in the department, from probationary firefighter up to fire commissioner, and was said to have known the location of every fire hydrant in New York.

MetalCraft Marine built the impressive new boat, which is a slightly scaled-down version of MetalCraft’s staple FireStorm 70 and measures 66 x 18 ft. and is capable of a maxium speed of 41 knots, powered by three C-18 1,150 hp Caterpillars driving three HJ 403 Hamilton jets. MetalCraft for the build of the new vessel.

Length 66 ft.

Width 18 ft.

Depth 3 ft.

Hull Aluminum Monohull   

Maximum speed 41 kts

Cruising speed 32 kts

Main engines (3) C-18 Caterpillar at 1,150 hp each

Water jets (3) HJ 403 Hamilton jets 

Gears ZF transmission 665

Fire pump engine C-9 Caterpillar at 510 hp 

Pumps (2) Darley model ZSP 3,000 gpm at 150 psi that can dispense foam to one or both pumps 

Fuel twin 500 gal. 

Potable water 25 gal.

Fire monitor (1) Stang fire monitor roof-mounted remote operated with 5,000 gpm at 80 psi