[[3][4][5][6]]San Francisco had been about to retire the Phoenix, its last fireboat, when the earthquake proved its worth.[7] The earthquake broke water mains. The Phoenix was equipped with extra fire-hose couplings, so her pumps were able to provide water pressure to a temporary network of fire-hoses, so local fire engines could fight fires in neighborhoods where the earthquake broke underground pipes.
Most of the vessel's $11.8 million construction cost was paid for from a port security grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.[[9][10] Senator Dianne Feinstein attended the vessel's christening.[6] According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Feinstein was largely responsible for securing $8 million in federal funds to pay for the vessel. Feinstein reflected on how, during her time as San Francisco's mayor, some fiscal conservatives wanted to retire the city's last fireboat, Phoenix and how that vessel proved its worth during the Loma Prieta earthquake, when she was able to pump water to substitute for fire mains broken during the quake.]
Specifications[1]| feature | value |
|---|
| length | 88|feet|m}} |
| breadth | 25|feet|m}} |
| draft | 14|feet|m}} |
| power | 750|hp|kW}} |
| pumping capacity | 18,000 gpm |
References
{{commonscat|St. Francis (ship, 2016)}}1. ^1 {{cite news | url = http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/SFFD-asking-SF-students-to-name-their-newest-boat-7258443.php#photo-2162514| title = SFFD asking students to name their newest fire boat| publisher = San Francisco Chronicle| author = Meera Pal| date = 2016-04-21| page = | location = | archiveurl = | archivedate = | accessdate = 2016-04-21| deadurl = No | quote = Scanlon says the new boat will enhance the department's marine firefighting and response on the Bay. In addition to providing support for water rescues and protecting the Port of San Francisco, the boat will also be able to serve {{'}}as a redundant water source for Fire Department engines in the case of an emergency, as it can pump water directly from the Bay.{{'}}}}
2. ^1 2 {{cite news | url = http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/SF-welcomes-new-fireboat-to-fleet-on-anniversary-9979107.php| title = SF welcomes new fireboat to fleet on anniversary of Loma Prieta| publisher = San Francisco Chronicle| author = Carl Nolte| date = 2016-10-17| page = | location = | archiveurl = | archivedate = | accessdate = 2016-10-16| deadurl = No | quote = The new boat, painted red and white, will be the city’s third fireboat. It was named St. Francis and christened with the traditional bottle of Champagne by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who helped get $8 million in federal grants, the majority of the cost.}}
3. ^1 2 {{cite news | url = http://www.professionalmariner.com/Web-Bulletin-2016/Vigor-delivers-new-fireboat-to-San-Francisco/ | title = Vigor delivers new fireboat to San Francisco| publisher = Professional Mariner| author = | date = 2016-08-16| page = | location = Seattle| archiveurl = | archivedate = | accessdate = 2016-10-16| deadurl = No | quote = The new fireboat, which has not yet been named, will be christened on Oct. 17, which also happens to be the anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.}}
4. ^1 {{cite news| url = http://www.sfexaminer.com/third-fireboat-to-join-citys-legendary-fleet/| title = Third fireboat to join city’s legendary fleet| publisher = San Francisco Examiner| date = 2015-11-24| archivedate = | archiveurl =| deadurl = no| quote = Deputy Chief of Administration Raymond Guzman told Fire Commissioners at a meeting in late October that the department may need to decommission one of the boats. “At this point we’re going to have three fireboats for a while and we still need to determine whether we’re going to keep two or three,” he said.}}
5. ^1 {{cite news | url = http://www.marinelink.com/news/technology-fireboat-sffds382437.aspx| title = Meet SFFD’s New Fireboat Technology| publisher = Marinelink| author = Peter Ong| date = 2014-12-16| page = | location = | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20141217022652/http://www.marinelink.com/news/technology-fireboat-sffds382437.aspx| archivedate = 2014-12-17| accessdate = 2014-12-16| deadurl = No | quote = Surrounded on three sides by water with the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Golden Gate Strait to the north, and San Francisco Bay to the East, the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) currently relies on two old and refurbished fireboats, the Phoenix (built in 1954) and the Guardian (built in 1951) to serve as fire protection assets for the waters around the City. }}
6. ^1 {{cite news | url = http://bayareauasi.org/sites/default/files/resources/050814%20Agenda%20Item%204%20Appendix%20A.pdf| title = San Francisco Fire Department: New Fireboat Project| publisher = San Francisco Fire Department| author = Johanna Hayes-White| date = | page = | location = | archiveurl = | archivedate = | accessdate = 2016-04-24| deadurl = No | quote = In 2013, FEMA awarded the SFFD 7.6 million dollars to fund the project.}}
7. ^{{cite news| url = http://www.sfexaminer.com/third-fireboat-to-join-citys-legendary-fleet/| title = Third fireboat to join city’s legendary fleet| publisher = San Francisco Examiner| date = 2015-11-24| archivedate = | archiveurl =| deadurl = no| quote = Deputy Chief of Administration Raymond Guzman told Fire Commissioners at a meeting in late October that the department may need to decommission one of the boats. “At this point we’re going to have three fireboats for a while and we still need to determine whether we’re going to keep two or three,” he said.}}
8. ^1 {{cite news | url = http://www.bayareauasi.com/sites/default/files/resources/050814%20Agenda%20Item%204%20Appendix%20A.pdf| title = New fireboat project| publisher = San Francisco Fire Department| author = Joanne Hayes-White| date = | page = | location = | isbn = | archiveurl = | archivedate = | accessdate = 2014-10-13| deadurl = No | quote = }}
9. ^1 {{cite news | url = http://abc7news.com/news/lessons-learned-from-loma-prieta-earthquake/349748/| title = Lessons learned from Loma Prieta earthquake| publisher = ABC| author = Cheryl Jennings| date = 2014-10-13| page = | location = | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20141014210623/http://abc7news.com/news/lessons-learned-from-loma-prieta-earthquake/349748/| archivedate = 2014-10-14| deadurl = No | quote = San Francisco is now building a third more modern fire boat, but still needs funding for more portable hydrants.}}