VESSEL OF THE MONTH

Tanner, one of two Camarc-designed fireboats now in service with the London Fire Brigade.

Tanner and Errington:

Two new fireboats join London Fire Brigade

Recently delivered by Holyhead Marine Services of Holyhead, Wales, two new fireboats that have joined the London Fire Brigade — the Tanner and the

Errington — are twice as fast as the two vessels they replace and can reach speeds of 40 knots. They can also pump more water and are bigger than their predecessors, which have been in continuous service for more than 20 years.

Designed by Camarc Marine, the 16 meter long, 5.2-meter beam, and 0.6meter draft all-aluminum vessels have a landing craft look with a bow ramp, flat bottom and reinforced keel, allowing operations on the banks and mud flats of the River Thames.

Each is powered by two Scania DI16 diesels, each rated at 900 BHP @ 2300 RPM and driving Kongsberg S36-3/CA waterjets via ZF 500 gearboxes. Each vessel is crewed by an officer and four firefighters and has two firefighting monitors that can be operated remotely and pump at 2,500 liters a minute.

In addition to fighting fires, the vessels can also be used for rescuing vessels that have got into trouble, towing distressed vessels, and rescuing people and animals from both water and the riverside. They have a crane to help rescue people from the water.

The new fireboats are named after Auxiliary Fireman Harry Errington and Auxiliary Firewoman Gillian Tanner, who in WW2 were both awarded medals for bravery.

Harry Errington was awarded the George Cross after rescuing two fellow firefighters from a basement that had been hit by a bomb during an air raid. Gillian Tanner was awarded a George Medal for her bravery in driving a fuel truck during an air raid, helping to refuel fire engines as they battled fires caused by the bombing. The boats callsigns, H23A and H23B, are in memory of firefighters Adam Meere and Billy Faust, two London firefighters who died attending a fire in 2004.