Chicago fire boat – The Christopher Wheatley
Dan Jasina from Michigan came across an interesting article about the new fire boat, complete with photos and a video. You can read the full story here, with some key highlights below:
The vessel is the result of over a year of hard work by Hike Metal Products Ltd., a company based in Wheatley with more than 20 employees. This is the largest boat the shipyard has launched in nearly five years, and it even surpasses a fire boat built for Baltimore in 2007.
On Friday, the Chicago fire boat will depart from the harbor and may be seen passing down the Detroit River later that day. It’s expected to travel through Lake St. Clair, Lake Huron, and Lake Michigan before arriving in Chicago by Sunday night, assuming the weather stays favorable.
Interestingly, the boat carries the name "Wheatley," which caught both the Chicago fire officials and the local builders by surprise.
The fire boat is named after Christopher Wheatley, a 31-year-old firefighter who died while on duty in August. He was killed when he fell from a fire escape during a restaurant blaze.
His father, Daniel Wheatley, was deeply moved when he learned that the replacement fire boat would be named in his son’s honor. Upon visiting Hike Metal's website and discovering the location, he was shocked and decided to make a trip to Wheatley in March to see the boat and the town.
Many firefighters in Chicago aren’t yet aware of the name the new boat will carry. Hike Metal discovered the connection four months ago when they were asked what name to use on the vessel.
Company president Andy Stanton said the name “Wheatley†isn’t common, and he’s proud that a hero will now carry that name out of the harbor. “We were really surprised,†he added.
The Christopher Wheatley is a heavy-duty fireboat designed to break up to 12 inches of ice, allowing it to operate all year round. It can support scuba divers, assist in rescues, and be used for firefighting with foam or water. It also serves as a pumping station to supplement the city’s main water supply.
The boat can be operated by a crew of five or expanded to ten during large-scale emergencies. Below deck, it includes a kitchen, bathroom, and living quarters for the crew.
One of its four monitor nozzles can be raised 30 feet high, delivering a powerful spray strong enough to strip bricks off a building’s side, according to Stanton.
To pass under low bridges, the mast can be lowered so the boat sits no higher than 16 feet above the water. It’s equipped with four engines—two for the pumps and two 1,500 horsepower engines for propulsion. The boat can move at 12 knots or three knots through ice.
Dan shared some great photos of the boat, which we’ve posted here.
Chicago's new fire boat sits completed and ready to head out in a week. Dan Jasina photo
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