Fireboats of Long Beach, California facts for kids

The Long Beach Fire Department in Long Beach, California uses special boats called fireboats. These boats help protect the Port of Long Beach and the city's beaches and marinas from fires. They also help with rescues on the water.

The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are very close. Together, they make up one of the biggest container ports in the world. The cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach have an agreement to help each other. This means they can share fireboats if one city needs extra help.

What Are Fireboats?

Fireboats are like floating fire trucks. They are designed to fight fires on ships, docks, and other structures near the water. They have powerful pumps that can spray huge amounts of water. Some fireboats can also spray foam to put out different kinds of fires.

History of Long Beach Fireboats

Long Beach has had several important fireboats over the years. Each boat has played a key role in keeping the port and city safe.

Early Fireboats

• Charles S. Windham (launched 1942): This was the very first fireboat for Long Beach. It helped protect the city during World War II.
• Fireboat 1 (launched 1954): This was the second fireboat for the city.
• Fireboat 2 (launched 1954): This boat was the third fireboat to join the Long Beach fleet.

Modern Fireboats

• Challenger (launched 1987): This fireboat was built to be very powerful. It could pump 10,000 gallons of water every minute! However, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Challenger and its sister ship, the Liberty, had some problems soon after they were built. They needed repairs because of how they were made.
• Liberty (launched 1987): The Liberty had similar issues to the Challenger. It also needed repairs not long after it was put into service.
• Protector (launched 2014): The Protector is a very modern fireboat. It was officially put into service on June 8, 2016. This boat is designed to fight fires on the biggest ships that visit the port today. It has strong water cannons for this job.
• Vigilance (launched 2015): The Vigilance is just like the Protector. It was officially put into service on November 13, 2017. Both the Protector and Vigilance are very important for protecting the busy port.

New Fire Stations

In 2017, Workboat magazine reported that Long Beach planned to build two new fire stations. These stations would be special homes for the city's two newest fireboats, the Protector and the Vigilance. This shows how important these fireboats are to the city's safety plans.

Images for kids

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  The Challenger fireboat in Long Beach.

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  The Protector fireboat, designed for large modern ships.