Christopher Wheatley

The Christopher Wheatley is a fireboat delivered to the Chicago Fire Department in 2011.[1][2][3] When she was delivered in April 2011, she was the first new fireboat to serve the city in sixty years. She replaced the Victor L. Schlaeger.

Chicago Fire Department fireboat Christopher Wheatley (2015)

The vessel was built in Wheatley, Ontario, and was named after a young Chicago firefighter who had died in the line of duty in August 2010.[4][5][6][7]

The vessel was designed specifically to function in an environment like Chicago, where she would be required to navigate shallow rivers, and pass under low bridges.[3] She has four diesel engines, two of which are dedicated to powering her four water cannons. A water cannon on her aft deck is on an extensible mast that can be raised to a height of 30 feet, if required, but can be lowered to pass under low bridges. Her radio mast can also be lowered, for passing under low bridges. Her water cannons can project 15,000 gallons per minute.[8]

The Fire Department maintains crew on the vessel 24 hours a day, seven days a week.[8]

The vessel was designed by Canadian Naval Architects Robert Allan Ltd. and built in the Canadian shipyards of Hike Metal Products.

Chicago keeps the lower reaches of the Chicago River clear of ice, during the winter, so service vessels, like the Christopher Wheatley can transit it, during emergencies.[9][8] While she is capable of breaking ice usually the city-owned tugboat James J. Versluis performs this duty. In 2021, the Christopher Wheatley was put into use breaking ice on the Chicago River, while the James J. Versluis was in charge of breaking ice on Lake Michigan.[8]

Specifications
length
27.42 metres (90.0 ft)[3]
beam
7.62 metres (25.0 ft)[3]
displacement
300 tons[6]
propulsion
2 x 1,081 kilowatts (1,450 hp) diesel engines[3]
firefighting equipment
2 x 745 kilowatts (999 hp) diesels to power the pumps[3]
4 x remote controlled water cannons[3]
22 connectors for external fire hoses[3]
speed
13 knots
ice breaking capability
up to 30 centimetres (0.98 ft)[3]
cost
$8.5 million[6]

See also

References
  1. Sharon Hill (2011-04-21). "New Chicago fireboat honors fallen firefighter: The fireboat is called the Christopher Wheatley for the 31-year-old Chicago firefighter who died Aug. 9 in the line of duty". Windsor Star. Archived from the original on 2011-09-11. "It's been 60 years since Chicago has [had] a new fireboat, and we're excited about its arrival," said Larry Langford, a fire department spokesman.
  2. "Christopher Wheatley: New Fireboat for the Chicago Fire Department". BC Shipping News. 2011-06-15. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  3. Robert Allan Ltd. (2011-06-15). "Christopher Wheatley: A Unique new Fireboat for the City of Chicago". Robert Allan Ltd. Archived from the original on 2012-01-03.
  4. "Firefighter dies battling West Loop blaze". ABC News. 2010-08-10. Archived from the original on 2016-04-13. A Chicago firefighter died after he fell several stories while fighting a fire early Monday morning at Avec restaurant in the West Loop. Christopher Wheatley, 31, slipped and fell from a ladder in a fire escape in the 600-block of West Randolph.
  5. Patrick Elwood (2012-06-06). "New CFD fire boat named after fallen firefighter Christopher Wheatley". Fox News. Archived from the original on 2012-12-12. Named after a firefighter who died on the job, the Christopher Wheatley has all the bells and whistles and legacy that will last for years and years to come.
  6. "New Fireboat Named For Fallen Firefighter". CBS News. 2011-04-18. Archived from the original on 2011-09-18. The new fire boat weighs 300 tons and cost $8.5 million to build, the Windsor Star of Windsor, Ont., Canada, reported.
  7. "Gallery: Chicago's Fire Boat Is 'Hot'". Windsor Star. 2011-05-15. Archived from the original on 2012-06-08.
  8. Pat Nabong (2021-02-12). "All aboard Chicago Fire Department's ice-breaking vessel". Chicago Suntimes. Archived from the original on 2021-02-13. Retrieved 2021-02-14. Operated by the Chicago Fire Department, the Wheatley is designed to break ice that has formed on the Chicago River. If, for example, a person falls in the water, rescue personnel would need an unencumbered path through the ice, explained Jason Lach, CFD Marine and Dive Operations deputy district chief.
  9. John Fecile (2017-01-08). "Icebreakers of the Chicago River: How bubblers, boats and brawn keep the city safe each winter". WJCT. Archived from the original on 2017-01-09. Retrieved 2017-01-09. The Fire Department's icebreaker, the Christopher Wheatley, was built in 2011 at a cost of $9 million. She's able to handle up to a foot of ice, and she serves as the Fire Department's "heavy response" boat. Essentially a floating ambulance-slash-fire truck, The Wheatley has a triage room, a diving platform, and four water cannons that, together, can pump 15,000 gallons of water per minute.
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