MetalCraft Marine

Fire Systems

The unique MetalCraft Marine proprietary designed sea chest (Copyright 2001) allows for the large pumping capacity. This sea chest with an intake as large as a firefighter himself, provides a filtered water source to the pump while self draining with the boat on plane.

The monitor location is central for further range and is close to the center of buoyancy. This permits the helmsman to pivot the boat around a high thrust load at full stream while running a low engine rpm, not unlike a towboat.

Operators are amazed at the boat's control while at full-stream in any given angle thereby, never allowing the boat to be blown off course.

Simplicity in design was key to the fire system. This truck design theory allows for a consistent ease of performance, maintenance and reparability.

* Some exceptions to the NFPA 1925 apply, based on individual specifications.

Hull Shape

The FireStorm operates on the Kingston hull design platform. This Kingston hull form is a proprietary design that features a delta-pad center planing flat, which provides the additional lift required to offer a low trim angle through the pre-planing transition zone, "the hump".

Fireboats carry approximately 25% more fire and rescue gear than a conventional patrol boat. This normally causes the planning surface area to be very marginal or even too low in the water to plane at all. A heavy boat with a small water plane causes exaggerated high bow planning angles and heavy loads on engines reducing their longevity. With this hull design, MetalCraft has proven you can get speed and performance without compromising the equipment list.

This high efficiency Kingston hull (copyright 1987) offsets the FireStorm's high load condition, providing additional speed and better fuel economy.

Rescue Systems

The FireStorm-36 and 40 are NFPA Class 'C' fireboats but can meet NFPA Class 'B' pumping requirements and pumps more than 25% in excess of its pump rating. Items like the wrap around recovery deck, track system safety harness (patent pending), internal foam tanks and forward push knees are only some of the design features specific to the FireStorm rescue system.

While arriving on-scene faster than most large vessels, FireStorms offers a wide range of specialized rescue features for first or only response.

These systems were designed with the input and insight from the O.W.L. Fire Department Boat Team of Fire Fighters. MetalCraft Marine would like to thank these men for their contributions and their affect on the future of fireboat design.