Sheriff Gets New Fire/Rescue Boat

The Broward County Sheriff's Office Department of Fire Resucue and Emergency Service in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. has accepted delivery of Marine 6, its new FireStorm 40 Fire/Rescue boat. MetalCraft Marine of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, designed this new generation fireboat with a top speed of 42 mph, a pumping capacity of 2,874 gpm and the ability to stop in just over one boat length by using its twin diesel-powered water jets. It provides Broward County, Fla., with offshore first response capabilities, as well as covering the county's intra coastal and Port Everglades oil terminal. With the assistance of Hamilton 322 jet drives and twin Cummins 580 hp diesel engines, the unique delta pad hull design allows the FireStorm to get up on plane much faster and handle in heavy seas, while also performing rescues in shallow water. Fire equipment includes two remote Elkhart monitors, one set on the cabin top with the other on the bow. There are also two Elkhart manual monitors one either side of the aft deck, each having twin 21/2 discharges for hand lines. Darley provided 2-PSM 1250 pumps which will run independently or together from two built-in 75 gallon foam tanks. Built in remote firefighting and navigation console electronics provide a clean access for both captain and navigator. The flush aft deck allows for maneuverability for patients and easy accessibility to the wrap-around water level dive platform. Marine 6 is finished off with custom graphics by Graphic Imagination of Florida.