US boat builder Metal Shark has delivered a new 40-foot (12-metre) welded aluminum pilothouse fireboat to Tampa Fire Rescue in Florida. The vessel was designed in-house by Metal Shark and built at the company’s Jeanerette, Louisiana, production facility.
The fireboat is the first of two such vessels being built for the department, with a second scheduled for delivery in 2026. It is powered by three 300 hp (220 kW) Yamaha outboard engines with joystick controls.
The vessel's firefighting capabilities are centered on a Darley fire pump that delivers 1,500 gallons/minute (5,700 litres/minute) to a remote-operated monitor, dual hand line discharges, and a hydrant discharge for supplying land-based apparatus.
For hazardous materials response, the vessel is equipped with a Honeywell CBRNE detection system and a cabin filtration and pressurization package.
The boat also features port and starboard dive doors and a rescue ladder to support search and rescue missions.
