The MetalCraft Marine FireStorm 69 High-Speed Aluminum Fireboat represents a new generation in fireboat technology. It is a culmination of years of study and research into high volume pumping systems and their effects on a small boat's stability, controllability, dynamic loading and righting moments.
The Firestorm-69 provides more speed, manoeuvrability and pumping capacity than any other high speed fireboat in the market today. Fitted with quad Hale pumps it is expected to produce flow meter results of 12,000 GPM.
High pump numbers are due to unique MetalCraft Marine proprietary designed sea chests. These sea chests have an intake three times the cross sectional area of the main, can be inspected and cleaned while underway and provide a positive head to the pump, as well as pump redundancy.
The monitor location is central to good design and is close to the center of buoyancy of the boat. This permits the helmsman to pivot the streaming at any angle. The boat's head never blows off its course. Simplicity is the key to the fire system, and is based on fire truck system design for ease of maintenance and repairability.

This fireboat can be equipped with CBRN options for advanced readiness. Click for more...
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.
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.
While arriving on-scene faster than most large vessels, FireStorms offers a wide range of specialized rescue features for first or only response.
There are many options to rescue systems offered by MetalCraft Marine, the ones chosen by the Tampa Fire/Rescue are as follows;
| Tampa Fire/Rescue FireStrom 69 | |
|---|---|
| Speed | 35 knots fully loaded |
| L.O.A. | 69'2" |
| B.O.A. | 22'10" |
| Draft | 34" |
| Pump | 2x Hale RME's and 2x 8 FKF pumps producing 12,000 GPM |
| Monitors | 1x Remote Stang, 2x remote Elkharts and and 2x manual Elharts |
| Engine | Quad Iveco C-13- 825 HP |
| Jets | Quad Hamilton 364 |