The first fireboats from the late 18th century were tugboats, fitted with firefighting equipment.
Modern fireboats are capable of pumping sometimes tens of thousands of gallons of water per minute and are very fast.
Fireboats are used for fighting fires on docks and shore side warehouses or even wildfires as they can directly attack fires when close by. Fureboats also have an effectively unlimited supply of water available, pumping directly from below the hull.
Fireboats are most usually seen by the public when welcoming a fleet or historical ships with a display of their water moving capabilities, throwing large arcs of water in every direction.
We honor all service members on 4th of July and hope you will enjoy our selection of photos.