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May 26, 2011
Fire Commissioner Salvatore J. Cassano commissioed the newest FDNY fireboat, Bravest, on Thursday, May 26 at 3 p.m. at the North Cove Marina in Battery Park City, Manhattan. The Bravest is a $2.4 million, jet-powered fireboat, custom built for the FDNY by SAFE Boats International of Seattle, Washington.
The 65-foot, 80,000 pound vessel has a top speed of over 50 miles per hour, making it one of the fastest in FDNY Marine Operations. The Bravest can pump over 7,000 gallons of water per minute, carries 200 gallons of firefighting foam, and is equipped with a Purple-K dry chemical fire suppression system; which is used for fuel-fed fires. Like the other recent fireboat additions to the FDNY, the Three Forty Three and Fire Fighter II, the Bravest has a forward looking infrared (FLIR) camera and the ability to protect firefighters from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agents. The Bravest is also designed to operate safely in shallow waterways, such as the areas around New York City’s airports.
“The word bravest has always been synonymous with the Fire Department,” said Commissioner Cassano. “Now, the fireboat that will carry that name will be commissioned in the shadows of where the World Trade Center once stood as a fitting tribute to every member lost, and every member past and present who has served the FDNY.”
The name Bravest adorns the sides of the boat’s cabin using steel recovered from the World Trade Center. Upon the completion of training for firefighters in Marine Operations, the Bravest will be assigned to Marine 6, located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard where it will replace the fireboat Kevin C. Kane, which was placed into service in 1993.
FDNY Marine Operations is responsible for over 560 miles of coastline and harbors and has protected New York City residents for 135 years.
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