Guardian (fireboat)
Encyclopedia
Guardian is a fireboat
owned by San Francisco Fire Department
and operated in the San Francisco Bay
since 1990 in reserve status. Guardian was a gift to the people of San Francisco by anonymous donors following the notable role of the fireboat Phoenix
in helping to save the Marina District buildings from further destruction by fire following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Both Guardian and Phoenix fireboats are based at Firehouse No. 35 at Pier 22½ of the Port of San Francisco
. Guardian has 5 pumps which can deliver up to 26,000 gallons of water per minute, significantly more than Phoenix, making it the most powerful fireboat in the world in terms of pumping capacity
Guardian served the city of Vancouver, Canada from 1951 until the time it was retired in 1987 by Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services
under the name Fireboat #2 .
Though the city of San Francisco had operated two fireboats from the early 1900 until 1954, the Phoenix
was the only fireboat in the city from 1955 until the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Because of the role of Phoenix in the protection of the Marina District after the 1989 earthquake, $50,000 from grateful Marina property owners and $300,000 from anonymous donors were used purchase and refurbish Guardian. Upon arrival in San Francisco, the ship was rechristened Guardian, a name chosen by the school children of San Francisco at the request of the anonymous donors.
Both Guardian and Phoenix are based at Pier 22 1/2. In 1999, Firehouse 35 at Pier 22 1/2 was declared San Francisco's 225th Historic Landmark.
Fireboat
A fireboat is a specialized watercraft and with pumps and nozzles designed for fighting shoreline and shipboard fires. The first fireboats, dating to the late 18th century, were tugboats, retrofitted with firefighting equipment....
owned by San Francisco Fire Department
San Francisco Fire Department
The San Francisco Fire Department provides fire and emergency services to the City and County of San Francisco, California.The San Francisco Fire Department, along with the San Francisco Police Department and San Francisco Sheriff's Department, serves an estimated population of 1.4 million people...
and operated in the San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
since 1990 in reserve status. Guardian was a gift to the people of San Francisco by anonymous donors following the notable role of the fireboat Phoenix
Phoenix (fireboat)
Phoenix is a fireboat owned by California and operated by the city of San Francisco in the San Francisco Bay since 1955. Phoenix is known for helping to save Marina District buildings from further destruction by fire following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Her worthy assistance resulted in a...
in helping to save the Marina District buildings from further destruction by fire following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Both Guardian and Phoenix fireboats are based at Firehouse No. 35 at Pier 22½ of the Port of San Francisco
Port of San Francisco
The Port of San Francisco lies on the western edge of the San Francisco Bay near the Golden Gate. It has been called one of the three great natural harbors in the world, but it took two long centuries for navigators from Spain and England to find the anchorage originally called Yerba Buena...
. Guardian has 5 pumps which can deliver up to 26,000 gallons of water per minute, significantly more than Phoenix, making it the most powerful fireboat in the world in terms of pumping capacity
History
Guardian was built by Yarrows, LTD of British Columbia in 1951 and was hull number 115 .Guardian served the city of Vancouver, Canada from 1951 until the time it was retired in 1987 by Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services
Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services
Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services was founded in 1886 and today serves the city of Vancouver, British Columbia providing both fire and emergency medical services. In 2007, the V.F.R.S. responded to over 43,000 emergency calls.-History:...
under the name Fireboat #2 .
Though the city of San Francisco had operated two fireboats from the early 1900 until 1954, the Phoenix
Phoenix (fireboat)
Phoenix is a fireboat owned by California and operated by the city of San Francisco in the San Francisco Bay since 1955. Phoenix is known for helping to save Marina District buildings from further destruction by fire following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Her worthy assistance resulted in a...
was the only fireboat in the city from 1955 until the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Because of the role of Phoenix in the protection of the Marina District after the 1989 earthquake, $50,000 from grateful Marina property owners and $300,000 from anonymous donors were used purchase and refurbish Guardian. Upon arrival in San Francisco, the ship was rechristened Guardian, a name chosen by the school children of San Francisco at the request of the anonymous donors.
Both Guardian and Phoenix are based at Pier 22 1/2. In 1999, Firehouse 35 at Pier 22 1/2 was declared San Francisco's 225th Historic Landmark.
Crew and maintenance
Guardian has operated in San Francisco since 1990 in an unmanned reserve status. Firehouse 35 on Pier 22½ has seven crew on duty at all times: four to serve Engine #35, and three dedicated to the two fireboats. All seven are able to man the fireboats in an emergency.External links
- http://guardiansofthecity.org/sffd/fireboats/guardian.html
- SF Phoenix fireboat