Have you guessed yet?
For California, initially earthquakes predicated the desire for fireboats. Who knew? Earthquakes disrupt and dismantle. When water mains break underground, sea water is the best option to tackle fires.
For Washington state, the varied jobs of fireboats centered around the many facets of the lumber industry, from shipping to milling, and storage. The fireboats' efficiency kept fires from spreading amongst the warehouses. There were then and still are areas today of the Tacoma coastline where roads do not exist. The only manner of fighting fires was and is from the coastline for those locations.
Fireboat No. 1 fun facts. Three shifts of twelve firefighters served to keep this 96'6" long boat running. It seems the red suits her better than her original gray and black. Don't you agree? Weighing in at 88.5 gross tons, this beauty has five engines, three propellers, and one rudder. Imagine the volume of water as her seven monitors (nozzles) could deliver as much water as ten firetrucks! She wears an electric winch, a searchlight, and a boom for the life boat. 2,500 feet of fire hoses can be attached at six outlets of the manifolds on each side. Even with all of these accoutrements, she could travel at nearly 16 miles per hour. Pretty quick for an old girl. In fact, in 1929, she was among the fastest of her kind.
Fireboat No. 1 raced into action on October 1, 1929. She faithfully served for 53 years. Then, she helped train firefighters before the transition to newer, more advanced fireboats. Independence Day Celebrations featured her in all her glory, often shooting colorful water from her monitors. Other local festivities offered a chance for her to shine over the years. When asked in a 1976 survey for favorite landmarks, the second highest votes landed on board Fireboat No. 1, shadowed only by Mt. Rainier. Fine company indeed.
One of my favorite findings while studying the history of Fireboat No. 1 is Robert Fields' assessment in the 1978 nomination form for Tacoma Register of Historic Places Inventory. "Its appearance is, perhaps, as dated as 'antique' firetrucks of this period, but the fireboat has remained almost unchanged because it so completely satisfied the function it was designed to perform, and because its durability has allowed it to remain 'in service' for more than half a century."
One of my favorite findings while studying the history of Fireboat No. 1 is Robert Fields' assessment in the 1978 nomination form for Tacoma Register of Historic Places Inventory. "Its appearance is, perhaps, as dated as 'antique' firetrucks of this period, but the fireboat has remained almost unchanged because it so completely satisfied the function it was designed to perform, and because its durability has allowed it to remain 'in service' for more than half a century."
What a legacy. May we learn from her.
As a child, Rebecca loved to write. She nurtured this skill as an educator and later as an editor for an online magazine. Rebecca then joined the Cru Ministry - NBS2GO/Neighbor Bible Studies, at its inception. She serves as the YouVersion Content Creator, with over 135 Plans, in 45 languages on the Bible.com app.
Rebecca lives near the mountains with her husband and a rescued dog named Ranger. She is a proud mom of an American soldier and an Aerospace grad student. If it were up to Rebecca, she would be traveling - right now. First up, trips to see their two grown sons. As a member of ACFW and FHLCW, she tackles the craft of fiction while learning from a host of generous writers.
Rebecca lives near the mountains with her husband and a rescued dog named Ranger. She is a proud mom of an American soldier and an Aerospace grad student. If it were up to Rebecca, she would be traveling - right now. First up, trips to see their two grown sons. As a member of ACFW and FHLCW, she tackles the craft of fiction while learning from a host of generous writers.
Fields, R. (1978, January 24). Tacoma Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form. Tacoma; CMS City of Tacoma.
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