Discovery (fireboat)
The Discovery is a fireboat launched on the Columbia River in 2014[1][2][3] by the Vancouver, Washington Fire Department. The vessel's water cannons can pump 3,000 gallons per minute. She is Vancouver, Washington's first dedicated fireboat.
She was purchased through a port security grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.[3] The $2.7 million grant was shared with the Fire Department of nearby Astoria, Oregon, and Clark County Fire & Rescue.
In 2002 the Washington Survey and Review Bureau published a report that stated that Vancouver maritime commerce was well above the size where the city needed a dedicated fireboat.[4] The publication of the report triggered an increase local insurance rates. The FEMA report Marine Response Vessel Use and Design Assessment recommended that Vancouver's fireboat should have a minimum pumping capacity of at least 5,000 gallons per minute.
In addition to her fire-fighting capability the vessel is equipped with infrared sensors to support search and rescue missions.[2] She is equipped with facilities to contain oil and other hazardous material spills. She was designed to be of use in the event of natural or man-made disasters, like earthquakes, or terrorist attacks. In her cabin there is decontamination station and facilities for providing frontline medical care.
Operational career
On June 22, 2022, the crew of the Discovery rescued a man who jumped from the Interstate 5 Bridge across the Columbia River.[5]
References
- ↑ Vancouver Fire Boat Dedication Event, City of Vancouver, Washington, 2014-05-16. Retrieved on 2014-06-20. “Please join the Vancouver Fire Department in welcoming its new grant-funded and community-supported quick response boat, Discovery, to the region.”
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Vancouver's quick response boat, City of Vancouver, Washington, 2014-05. Retrieved on 2014-06-20. “Named for Captain George Vancouver's ship, Discovery is one of three boats recently acquired with a federal Port Security Grant to help address gaps in the regional marine emergency response capabilities along the Columbia River. The other two boats are operated by Clark County Fire and Rescue and the Port of Astoria. All three boats will be used to respond to incidents on both sides of the river, between Lewiston and Astoria.”
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lauren Dake. New Vancouver fireboat to be named Discovery, The Columbian, 2014-04-22. “Discovery gives the fire department a new ability to respond to incidents throughout the region. It was funded through a $2.7 million Federal Emergency Management Agency port security grant, which also provided new boats to Clark County Fire & Rescue and the Astoria, Ore., fire department. Vancouver received $1.8 million from the grant.”
- ↑ Michael E. Senchyna. Marine Response Vessel Use and Design Assessment, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2009-02. Retrieved on 2014-02. “Interestingly, the report concluded that Vancouver's waterfront was well in excess of the minimum size requiring a fireboat...”
- ↑ Mark Bowder. Vancouver fireboat rescues man from swift-flowing Columbia River, Columbian, 2022-06-22. Retrieved on 2023-12-01.