2007 News

December 14, 2007

Readying our Region:  Christening and Commissioning of Philadelphia Fire Department’s River Rescue Vessel, “Independence”

John D. Dougherty, Jr., Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Task Force Chair and other Task Force representatives joined Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street and Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers for the christening of the “Independence,” the first river-rescue vessel commissioned by the Philadelphia Fire Department in 57 years. This fast-response vessel was acquired with Urban Area Security Initiative and U. S. Department of Homeland Security funds secured by the Pennsylvania Southeastern Region Task Force, through the collaborative efforts of various federal, state, and regional agencies, as well as the City of Philadelphia.

“The commissioning of the ‘Independence’ marks a new day for marine response, firefighting capabilities and rescue technology for any kind of emergency in the Port of Philadelphia,” remarked Bucks County’s Emergency Management Agency Director John D. Dougherty, Jr., who is the task force chair. “This premier fire boat marks the culmination of the hard work and dedication of numerous first responders who collaborated under the auspices of the Pennsylvania Southeastern Region Task Force. We are proud of their efforts to protect the combined six million people who live in the Philadelphia region.”

The “Independence” was designed specifically for the vastly changing regional Port of Philadelphia, from a heavy industrial to a highly populated, recreational and residential port. It is the only vessel of its kind, serving the regional port, which can float on two and a half feet of water, make 360 degree turns, and travel up to 35 knots (over 40 miles per hour), making rapid response possible along the entire length of the port. Its low-water and air-draft boat design, combined with water jet propulsion, allow it to maneuver in waters that were previously not navigable. The “Independence” will respond to regional river-related emergencies on both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey borders of the Delaware River, extending as far north as Trenton, then south to the mouth of the Delaware Bay below Wilmington, Delaware.

 The “Independence” is capable of pumping up to of 5,500 gallons of water per minute and has a foam tank capacity of 200 gallons. Envisioned as a rescue vessel, the “Independence” was designed with life-saving operations in mind. It is equipped with a 16-foot rescue boat and a galley that converts to medical care areas outfitted with advanced life support medical equipment.

Using state-of-the-art technology, fire boat pilots operate the “Independence” automatically with the push of a button. By simply moving a joystick, they can switch the engines to fire pumping mode, engaging fire pumps to direct water flow towards the fire. The pilot house is equipped with the latest radar technology, a chart plotter, a Global Positioning System (GPS), remote controlled and manual search lights, and a thermal imaging camera for night operation. The pilot house is large enough to be an active command center while performing other tasks, and is equipped with temperature-controlled crews’ quarters.

The “Independence” is stationed at the U.S. Coast Guard Base on the Delaware River at Washington Avenue. The Philadelphia Fire Department also operates three other Fireboats, the “Delaware,” the “Franklin” and the “Bernard Samuel,” all late 1940s and early 1950s vintage. The fire department anticipates that the “Bernard Samuel,” the smallest of these boats, will be retired in the near future. 

The “Independence” was designed by Robert Allan Limited of Vancouver, British Columbia and was built at Derecktor Shipyards Inc. at its Bridgeport, Connecticut facility.

The Pennsylvania Southeastern Region Task Force was established in 1998 in response to a growing awareness to the threat of terrorism. It is comprised of the City of Philadelphia and the Counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery. The emergency management coordinators of the five counties make up the executive board which leads the task force. In recent years, the task force’s focus has broadened from counterterrorism to all hazards, including incidents such as natural disasters and accidents.