Fireboats of San Diego

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This editable Main Article is under development and subject to a disclaimer.

[edit intro]

San Diego's first fireboat, the Bill Kettner.[1]

As a major port, the city of San Diego has operated fireboats in San Diego, since its first fireboat, the Bill Kettner was commissioned in 1919.[2]

## Contents

* 1 City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department
* 2 San Diego Harbor Police's fireboats
* 3 San Diego Lifeguard Service's fireboats
* 4 References

## City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department[edit]

The city's first fireboat, the Bill Kettner, was named after San Diego's Congressional Representative William Kettner. [2] The vessel was built by the city's own firefighters in their own workshop, in 1919.[3]

The Point Loma II a small patrol vessel, with a modest pumping capacity, served from 1957 to 1977.[2] She had a single water cannon, only capable of pumping 1,200 gallons per hour.[4]

The Bill Kettner was retired in 1961, when she was replaced by the Shelter Island.[2] The Shelter Island had two water cannon, capable of pumping 2,000 gallons per minute and 1,000 gallons per minute.[4]

A third vessel, the Harbor Island was also put into service.[4] She had a single water cannon, capable of pumping 2000 gallons per minute.

## San Diego Harbor Police's fireboats[edit]

The Harbor Police's current fleet consists of 5 identical vessels commissioned in 2010 and 2011.

The San Diego Harbor Police has an area of responsibility that includes the San Diego Bay shorelines of the cities of San Diego, National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, and Coronada.

On November 22, 2010 the city accepted 2 new fireboats, to be operated by the San Diego Harbor Police, that were paid for by a Port security grant from the federal Department of Homeland Security. [5][6] The two new vessels each have three water cannon. They replaced three older and less capable vessels, that had been in service for 35 years.

In 2011 the City of San Diego agreed to accept an additional three more vessels, under another grant from the Department of Homeland Security. These five identical vessels are named Fireboat 1, Fireboat 2, Fireboat 3, Fireboat 4 and Fireboat 5.[7]

## San Diego Lifeguard Service's fireboats[edit]

San Diego's Lifeboat Service operates a separate fleet of fireboats.[8][9] Marine 2 and Marine 1 were commissioned in 1991 and 2004. Marine 3 was commissioned on June 26, 2015.[10]

Marine 3's pumping capacity is double that of the older vessels.[8] She is equipped for search and rescue in addition to firefighting duties.[10] She is equipped with infrared and other sensors, for helping to find missing sailors and lost boats. The two water cannon, each capable of pumping 1,200 gallons per minute, can be remotely controlled from the cabin. The lifeguard department's previous rescue and fire vessel had just a single water cannon, capable of pumping only 500 gallons per minute. The vessel cost $1 million, and its projected life is 25 years.

## References[edit]

1. ↑ Department History, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. Retrieved on 2015-06-28. “In 1919, the San Diego Fire Department christened the first gasoline powered fire boat in the world. The boat, the "Bill Kettner" was built from the keel up at the San Diego Fire Department shop, by firefighters.”
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Michael P. Rich. San Diego Harbor Police, Arcadia Publishing, 2014. Retrieved on 2015-06-27.
3. ↑ Peter Corona (2009). Little Italy: the way it was. Trafford Publishing, 107, 202. ISBN 9781426988004. Retrieved on 2015-06-27. “As a child, I remember seeing the 59-foot fireboat Bill Kettner operating in San Diego harbor. On one occasion I saw the fireboat crew shooting water up toward the sky. It was a beautiful sight.”
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Naval Base San Diego (NBSB) Information handbook. United States Navy (2012-04-21). Retrieved on 2015-06-27.
5. ↑ New Vessels Boost Ability To Fight Fires On The Bay, KGTV, 2010-11-22. Retrieved on 2015-06-27. “When compared to the boats in use for the past 35 years, the newer vessels can shoot water farther and out of three cannons instead of just one.”
6. ↑ R Stickney. Fire Destroys Yacht on Harbor Island, NBC San Diego, 2013-12-16. Retrieved on 2015-06-27. “Two San Diego Harbor Police boats used water cannons and foam to extinguish the fire around 12:30 p.m. Monday.”
7. ↑ Fireboats: San Diego Harbor, Cape Cod Fireboats. Retrieved on 2022-07-14. mirror
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Kevin L. Faulconer. Mayor Faulconer and Council President Lightner Christen New Lifeguard Fireboat to Make Waterfront Safer for Residents and Tourists Alike: State-of-the-Art Vessel Doubles the Firefighting Capability of Previous Boat, City of San Diego, 2015-06-26. Retrieved on 2022-07-14. mirror
9. ↑ Fireboats: San Diego Lifeguards, CA, Cape Cod Fireboats. Retrieved on 2022-07-14. mirror
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Ashley Jacobs. New fire boat gives San Diego lifeguards advantage, KFMB, 2015-06-26. Retrieved on 2015-06-27. “Several local leaders gathered Friday to christen Marine 3, which is a lifeguard fire boat. It will be used for many jobs, including rescue missions and support in fighting fires.”