Fireboats of Jacksonville, Florida

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The Jake M. Godbold moored on the St Johns River in Jacksonville.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Jacksonville, Florida has operated a fleet of three Fireboats in Jacksonville, Florida.[1] According to FEMA Jacksonville operated a fleet of three fireboats from 1999-2001. While other cities require the master, at most, to be US Coast Guard certified, Jacksonville requires all crew members to be certified capable of serving as the master of a vessel of up to 100 tons.

During the 1999-2001 period Jacksonville fireboats were called for water rescues on 486 occasions.[1] They were called to fight fires 193 times.

In 1922 the city commissioned the John C. Callahan as its first fireboat.[2]

fireboats in Jacksonville have included:
John C. Callahan 1922 1963
Richard D. Sutton 1951 1971
Eugene Johnson 1971
  • named after a firefighter who died in the line of duty.
Jax No. 1 1972
  • Converted tugboat.[2]
Jake M. Godbold 2007
  • Propelled by waterjets.[2]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 US Fire Administration. Special Report: Fireboats; Then and Now, Federal Emergency Management Agency, p. 6,7,15,23. Retrieved on 2013-12-09. “One consistent feature of most fireboat training programs is the training for the fireboat captain or master. Often this individual is different than the officer assigned to coordinate fire attack. Though not required in all cases -- mainly because fireboat vary in size -- most fireboat captains are certified/licensed through the United States Coast Guard for operations of a vessel up to 100 tons. In some jurisdictions, such as Jacksonville, Florida, all crew members are required to be USCG-licensed regardless of what position they are assigned on the boat.”
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 John W. Cowart. Men of Valor: A History of Firefighting in Jacksonville Florida, 1886-1996, Bluefish Books, 2006-03-01, p. 71,94–96,130. Retrieved on 2013-12-09.