1875: The Start of Service for a Pioneering Fireboat in New York City

May 12, 1875

The first official fireboat of the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) was placed into service. This steam-powered, wooden-hull vessel was named the William Frederick Havemeyer in honor of a prominent local citizen who had been the city’s mayor three times and was also a volunteer fireman. 

The importance of adequate firefighting and rescue capabilities along New York City’s extensive waterfront took on even more urgency with the major growth of wharves, docks, and ships in the years immediately following the American Civil War. FDNY (known as the Metropolitan Fire Department until 1870) rented the salvage tug John Fuller from the firm John Baxter & Son to serve as the city’s fireboat on an as-needed basis between 1865 and 1875. The introduction of the city-owned Havemeyer, however, signified an ever-increasing appreciation for a full-fledged and permanent firefighting presence along the water’s edge of the city. 

The 106-foot (32-meter)-long Havemeyer could pump out as many as 6,000 gallons (22,712.5 liters) of water per minute — a considerable improvement over the maximum 2,000 gallons (7,570.8 liters) that the John Fuller was able to provide. The Havemeyer, which was designated Engine Company 43, also had a permanent crew living on board. The crew included five firemen. 

The FDNY was not the first government agency in the United States to have its own fireboat; that distinction belongs to the Boston Fire Department, which had commissioned the steam-powered William F. Flanders for firefighting purposes about two years earlier. The Havemeyer, though, helped set the stage for New York City’s own leadership role when it came to fireboats nationwide. The city continued to place other fireboats into service over the next several decades, and by 1940 — nearly four decades after the Havemeyer had been retired from active duty –owned the largest fleet of firefighting vessels in the United States.

Image Credit: Public Domain

For more information on FDNY fireboat William Frederick Havemeyer, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Frederick_Havemeyer_(fireboat)