Damen Shipyards has recently delivered the ‘Bremen 1’ to the City of Bremen (Germany) to replace its 1975-built predecessor. Both the local police force and the fire brigade will use the Damen Fire Fighting Vessel 2406 (FFV) for emergency response. The police will patrol the Port of Bremen and the Weser River with the newbuild.
The Bremen 1 measures 24m x 6m. Its three waterjets and single bow thruster are largely responsible for the ship’s excellent manoeuvrability and generate a top-speed of 40 km/h. The FFV 2406 is equipped with a large fire pump, which has a capacity of 14,000 l/min at 10 bar. In addition, a second, smaller pump of 1,000 l/min is installed.
When extinguishing fires, the Bremen 1 uses mixture of water and foam. The foaming agent is stored in two 2,500 litre tanks and can be distributed to all or some of the vessel’s fire fighting monitors, two of which are supported by deck cranes. Other systems are a gas detection system and a self-protection water spray system, which can protect both vessel and crew from heat or fire.
The Damen FFV 2406 has ample space inside to store the same additional equipment as is commonly used in fire trucks. Furthermore, the vessel is outfitted with a life-raft and a lifeboat, i.e. a high-speed RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat).
For its daily purpose, the Bremen 1 will be manned by a police crew, which is expanded with fire fighters in case of a fire. Both organisations will train together in order to form a perfect team for emergency response activities.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff , May 11, 2012; Image: Damen