Fire-class fireboat
| 300px
CFAV Firebird in Halifax harbour
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Fire class |
| Builders: | Vancouver Shipyards |
| Operators: |  Royal Canadian Navy |
| In service: | 1978-present |
| Completed: | 2 |
| Active: | 1 |
| Laid up: | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Fireboats/Yard tractor tugs |
| Displacement: | 140 tonnes (138 long tons) |
| Length: | 23.1 m (75 ft 9 in) |
| Beam: | 6.4 m (21 ft) |
| Draught: | 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) |
| Complement: | 5 |
| Equipment: | 3 × manually-controlled 3-inch (7.6 cm) water cannons 2 × diesel-driven fire pumps, 2,500 gpm at 150 psi each |
The Fire-class fireboats/Yard tractor tugs were two fireboats operated by the Royal Canadian Navy. The two vessels are CFAV Firebrand (YTR 562) and CFAV Firebird (YTR 561).[1]
Design and construction
Firebird was based at CFB Halifax, and Firebrand at CFB Esquimalt.[1] According to the Canadian American Strategic Review the class was designed by naval architects Robert Allan Limited, and were built at Vancouver Shipyards in North Vancouver in 1978,[2] and later acquired by the Canadian Forces.
The two ships displaced 140 tonnes (138 long tons) and were 23.1 metres (75 ft 9 in) long, with a beam of 6.4 metres (21 ft) and a draught of 2.6 metres (8 ft 6 in). The ships were powered by two 365 horsepower (272 kW) azimuthing Z-drives and one hydraulic tunnel bow thruster. This gave the vessels a maximum speed of 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph). The ships had a crew of five firefighters.[3]
The Fire class was equipped with three manually-controlled 3-inch (76 mm) water cannons, two diesel-driven fire pumps capable of expending 2,500 gpm at 150 psi each.
Ships in class
| Number | Name | Builder | Laid down | In service | Status |
| YTR 561 | Firebird | Vancouver Shipyards, North Vancouver | 1978 | Out of service 2014. Awaiting disposal | |
| YTR 562 | Firebrand | 1978 | In active service |
Service history
In 2008, Firebird helped extinguish a fire aboard the former Canadian Coast Guard vessel CCGS Tupper in Halifax harbour.[3]
On 4 December 2012 the Department of National Defence published an enquiry for Canadian shipbuilders interested in building replacements for the Glen-class tugs¸ and Fire-class fireboats.[4][5]
A single class would replace both the tugs and the fireboats, and would be operated by civilian crews. The replacement vessels would have water cannons that could be controlled remotely, by a single individual. The replacement vessels would have bollard pull of 40 tons—almost six times as much as the 7.5 tons the Fire-class vessels are capable of.
On 29 January, the availability of Firebird to fight fires was reduced due to budget cuts, being on standby only during weekdays during certain hours.[6] On 4 December 2014, Firebird was taken out of service in Halifax, and placed on the disposal list as a result of budget cuts. The ship will be replaced using tugboats from around the harbour.[3][7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://clydeside-images.blogspot.com/2011/01/canadian-navy-fire-fighting-tug.html
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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