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Dedication Ceremony Welcomes Lake Assault Fireboat to the City of Pittsburgh

Fireboat to protect riverfront infrastructure and respond to waterway emergencies.

Lake Assault Boats, a leading manufacturer of purpose-built and mission-specific fire and rescue boats, has delivered a 34-foot, high-performance fireboat to the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire in Pittsburgh, Penn.

The fireboat, named after Pittsburgh’s first female mayor, Sophie Masloff, who passed away in 2014, was dedicated on October 27th. In a formal ceremony, the former mayor’s eldest granddaughter broke a bottle of champagne on the boat’s gunnel as it was launched into the Ohio River.

The Lake Assault deep V-hull fireboat will respond to emergencies and help manage fires on the waterways, waterfronts, marinas, and rail lines that lie along the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers, which join together in Pittsburgh to form the Ohio River.

“This new fireboat will greatly enhance our department’s emergency response capabilities, particularly by supporting ground-based firefighting apparatus as well as responding to on-the-water emergencies; we’re thrilled to have it here to serve the citizens of Pittsburgh,” said Darryl E. Jones, Chief, Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire. “This is our department’s first dedicated fireboat since 1974, and it’s an excellent new tool to have in our firefighting arsenal. During its time here in training, the boat has performed flawlessly.”

The craft’s firefighting system features a compact Hale 80FC pump flowing up to 3,000 g.p.m. which is powered by a dedicated 6.6L Duramax V-8 diesel engine. The fire pump includes a 6-inch main discharge that feeds a number of outlets, including bow and stern mounted TFT Hurricane monitors, each capable of flowing 1250 g.p.m. “The bow’s deck gun can be operated from inside the pilothouse, and that gives us a great deal of firefighting power while keeping firefighters in a controlled environment,” added Chief Jones.

The pilothouse features excellent outward visibility and includes a 15,000 BTU rooftop AC unit, an adjustable (and full suspension) operator’s seat, additional bench seating, SCBA mounting brackets, a chart table with storage, and a cuddy cabin for general storage. The craft also features a full spectrum of Garmin electronics, including chart plotter, HD radar, sonar, and a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) system, all controlled through 12- and 16-inch touchscreens.

For more information on Lake Assault Boats Visit www.lakeassault.com

Image shows the fireboat, ‘Sophie Masloff’ named after Pittsburgh’s first female mayor, who passed away in 2014.