News

Fire boat will soon be cruising Pittsburgh's rivers

PITTSBURGH — The city of Pittsburgh will soon have a fire boat to help firefighters attack fires that happen on, near or above the rivers.

According to a news release, the Public Safety Department and Bureau of Fire accepted a proposal for a 30-foot fire boat at a cost of $542,750.

The boat, which will be built by Wisconsin-based Lake Assault Boats, will have the capacity to pump 3,000 of water per minute and supply water from the rivers to on-shore fire-fighting operations. It will also be equipped with sonar and forward looking infrared cameras, according to the release.

The agreement is pending final approval. No delivery date was set.

The need for a fire boat was renewed after a boat fire on the Ohio River in Nov. 2015. A man who was on the boat swam to shore to escape the flames.