MetalCraft Marine, Incorporated, built the FireStorm 43/44 MK II for Mobile Fire-Rescue Department to replace old Fire Boat 2, which was added to the fleet in 2006.
The boat was built at a cost of $1.257m, with 75% paid for by a port security grant and the remaining paid for by the City of Mobile.
The boat has a 42’9” length overall and a top speed of 35 knots fully loaded. It is powered by two 480 horsepower Cummins 6.7L QSB engine and has two 2,000 gallons-per-minute Darley pumps.
It was brought to Mobile on a trailer from MetalCraft Marine’s plant and delivered on August 17, 2023, where it was lowered into the water at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Mobile off of South Broad Street. Crews were trained with the new vessel before putting it into service.
It is currently docked at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Mobile. When Fire Boat 2 receives a call, the crew from Engine 2 drives its engine the short distance to the dock and gets underway on the water from there.
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