Christopher Wheatley

Chicago Fire Department fireboat »Christopher Wheatley« (2015)

The Christopher Wheatley is a fireboat delivered to the Chicago Fire Department in 2011.[1][2][3] When she was delivered in April 2011, she was the first new fireboat to serve the city in sixty years. She replaced the Victor L. Schlaeger.

The vessel was built in Wheatley, Ontario, and was named after a young Chicago firefighter who had died in the line of duty in August 2010.[4][5][6][7] Wheatley was the first Chicago firefighter to die on the job since 1998.

The vessel was designed specifically to function in an environment like Chicago, where she would be required to navigate shallow rivers, and pass under low bridges.[3] She has four diesel engines, two of which are dedicated to powering her four water cannons. A water cannon on her aft deck is on an extensible mast that can be raised to a height of 30 feet, if required, but can be lowered to pass under low bridges. Her radio mast can also be lowered, for passing under low bridges.

The vessel was designed by Canadian Naval Architects Robert Allan Ltd. and built in the Canadian shipyards of Hike Metal Products.

Specifications
length
27.42 metres (90.0 ft)[3]
beam
7.62 metres (25.0 ft)[3]
displacement
300 tons[6]
propulsion
2 x 1,081 kilowatts (1,450 hp) diesel engines[3]
firefighting equipment
2 x 745 kilowatts (999 hp) diesels to power the pumps[3]
4 x remote controlled water cannons[3]
22 connectors for external fire hoses[3]
speed
13 knots
ice breaking capability
up to 30 centimetres (0.98 ft)[3]
cost
$8.5 million[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Sharon Hill (2011-04-21). "New Chicago fireboat honors fallen firefighter: The fireboat is called the Christopher Wheatley for the 31-year-old Chicago firefighter who died Aug. 9 in the line of duty". Windsor Star. Archived from the original on 2012-12-12. "It's been 60 years since Chicago has [had] a new fireboat, and we're excited about its arrival," said Larry Langford, a fire department spokesman.
  2. ↑ "Christopher Wheatley: New Fireboat for the Chicago Fire Department". BC Shipping News. 2011-06-15. Archived from the original on 2012-12-12.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Robert Allan Ltd. (2011-06-15). "Christopher Wheatley: A Unique new Fireboat for the City of Chicago". Robert Allan Ltd. Archived from the original on 2012-12-12.
  4. ↑ "Firefighter dies battling West Loop blaze". ABC News. 2010-08-10. Archived from the original on 2012-12-12. A Chicago firefighter died after he fell several stories while fighting a fire early Monday morning at Avec restaurant in the West Loop. Christopher Wheatley, 31, slipped and fell from a ladder in a fire escape in the 600-block of West Randolph.
  5. ↑ Patrick Elwood (2012-06-06). "New CFD fire boat named after fallen firefighter Christopher Wheatley". Fox News. Archived from the original on 2012-12-12. Named after a firefighter who died on the job, the Christopher Wheatley has all the bells and whistles and legacy that will last for years and years to come.
  6. 1 2 3 "New Fireboat Named For Fallen Firefighter". CBS News. 2011-04-18. Archived from the original on 2012-12-12. The new fire boat weighs 300 tons and cost $8.5 million to build, the Windsor Star of Windsor, Ont., Canada, reported.
  7. ↑ "Gallery: Chicago's Fire Boat Is 'Hot'". Windsor Star. 2011-05-15. Archived from the original on 2012-12-12.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Christopher Wheatley (ship, 2011).
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.