Marine Response
San Juan Island Fire & Rescue operates Fireboat 31, providing marine emergency response throughout our district's waterways. Our volunteer marine crew responds 24/7 to maritime emergencies including search and rescue, vessel fires, medical transport, and environmental incidents.
Fireboat 31
Fireboat 31 is a 31-foot fast response vessel built by Safe Boats International, designed for emergency medical transport and multi-mission response. Based in Friday Harbor, the boat can reach most locations in our district within 30 minutes.
Specifications:
- Length: 35 feet (working length)
- Beam: 10 feet
- Draft: 3 feet (engines down)
- Power: Twin 300 HP Yamaha outboard engines
- Speed: 40+ knots emergency, 30 knots cruising
- Range: 240-360 nautical miles (300 gallon fuel tank)
- Capacity: 20 responders or 4,600 lb payload
The vessel navigates with Garmin chart plotter, RADAR, AIS, and portable thermal imaging camera. Fireboat 31 can operate in moderate sea conditions with 30-knot winds and 4 to 8-foot waves.
Response Capabilities
Search and Rescue
With powerful spotlights and inertially stabilized binoculars, our crew can run search patterns in most weather conditions. A hydraulic bow door with steps facilitates retrieving victims from the water or transferring patients from docks. The cabin includes a long bench for patient transport in a Stokes litter.
Fire Suppression
A stern-mounted Darley 37-HP water pump powers our firefighting capability:
- 500 gpm at 30 psi or 300 gpm at 100 psi
- Bow-mounted monitor nozzle
- Two 2½" hose connections on bow
- One 2½" hose connection on stern
- Connections can be reduced to 1¾" hose for land-based firefighting
Emergency Medical Transport
Fireboat 31 is designed as an emergency medical transport vessel, providing rapid patient evacuation from the outer islands and vessels in distress.
Environmental Response
Fireboat 31 serves as a first-on-scene resource for oil spills and vessel sinkings, communicating conditions and coordinating response efforts. We maintain an MOU with the Islands' Oil Spill Association (IOSA) to support environmental disaster response.
Marine Crew
Our marine group consists of 12 volunteer crew members who respond 24/7. Missions typically launch with a three-person crew:
- Pilot (Coxswain) — Vessel operation and command
- Mate — Navigation and communications
- Deckhand — Lookout and deck operations
Five crew members hold USCG Merchant Mariner Certificates, and several work professionally on the water as guides or sailing instructors. All coxswains demonstrate command presence, extensive local marine knowledge, and advanced vessel operation skills.
We use GAR (Green-Amber-Red) scoring to evaluate risk versus gain before accepting missions, with all decisions preceded by crew discussion to identify and mitigate risks.
Service Area
San Juan Island Fire & Rescue marine crew responds to threats to life, property, and the environment within our district and its waterways. Responses outside the district require fire chief authorization and appropriate interagency agreements.
Fireboat 31 regularly transports firefighters and equipment to the outer islands, supporting our Outer Island Brigades program. At 40 knots, the boat can travel 20 nautical miles in 30 minutes, allowing rapid response to maritime emergencies throughout San Juan County.
We maintain close working relationships with US Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound and other maritime agencies to ensure rapid, coordinated responses to marine emergencies.
Requesting Marine Response
For maritime emergencies in our district:
- Call 911 or San Juan County Dispatch at 360-378-4151
- If the USCG alerts dispatch to a maritime emergency, our marine crew will be paged immediately
- Crew will assess the situation using GAR scoring and launch as appropriate
Radio identification: Fireboat 31 MMSI: 338487749