Jeanerette, LA – July 29th, 2021: Shipbuilder Metal Shark has introduced the 38 Defiant NXT, a next-generation welded-aluminum monohull pilothouse model based on the company’s popular 38 Defiant platform. The first new vessel, “Fire Boat 2,” has been delivered to Orange Beach Fire Rescue in Alabama.

Since 2011, well over 100 legacy model 38 Defiant vessels have been delivered in a wide range of configurations to fire departments, law enforcement agencies, the US Coast Guard and Navy, and multiple foreign militaries worldwide. The new 38 Defiant NXT utilizes the same proven hullform but with an entirely new topsides arrangement designed by Metal Shark’s in-house engineering team.

In addition to the recent delivery to Orange Beach Fire Rescue, Metal Shark is currently building 38 Defiant NXT fireboats for the Chicago Fire Department, South King County (Washington) Fire & Rescue, and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, which has two units on order. As with the previous generation model, the 38 Defiant NXT is also offered in configurations optimized for law enforcement or military use and may be equipped with autonomous capability through Metal Shark’s Sharktech Autonomous Vessels division.

“Redesigning one of our best-selling models at the peak of its popularity was not a task we approached lightly, but through our efforts we made significant improvements to an already outstanding platform,” said Metal Shark CEO Chris Allard. “Orange Beach Fire Rescue’s new 38 Defiant NXT fireboat and the multiple other fireboats now in production are a direct result of our goal to consistently offer the industry’s most advanced designs through ongoing product evolution.”

The 38 Defiant NXT boasts a modern arrangement with an innovative new pilothouse design. The use of Metal Shark’s signature “Pillarless Glass” significantly reduces blind spots to deliver class-leading pilothouse visibility, while a reverse-raked windshield with prominent brow shade reduces heat load and glare. An overhead skylight array offers unobstructed upwards views, helpful while operating alongside taller vessels or structures or during helicopter hosting operations. Large, quickly-sliding side windows and an extra-wide cabin door facilitate communication to crew members in the cockpit and allow quick and easy ingress and egress by firefighters wearing full gear.

Metal Shark Introduced 38 Defiant NXT Fireboat from Metal Shark Boats on Vimeo.

Twin engine-driven Hammond HVAC units provide climate control for a roomy cabin equipped with SHOXS 2000 shock-mitigating seating for three, with one seat at each console. A port-side bench seat with backrest provides additional seating with latching storage lockers beneath. A pair of large and sturdy grab rails are installed overhead, within easy reach of standing crew. For Orange Beach Fire Rescue, a full Raymarine electronics package, FLIR thermal imaging system, and positive-pressure Chemical, Radiological, Biological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) crew protection system have been provided. Meanwhile, vibration-dampening, shock-absorbing, non-skid flooring material provides additional comfort and safety.

The bow cuddy cabin is accessed via an extra-wide companionway and provides ample dry storage for gear. Fire departments such as Orange Beach Fire Rescue often choose a fully open forward cabin for maximum storage. Alternately, the cuddy may be outfitted with a v-berth, galley, and enclosed head compartment. The 38 Defiant NXT is also offered in an open-bow version.

A no-nonsense deck layout allows firefighters to p

If earmark requests from Maine’s congressional delegation are approved, Howland and Corinna (ME) would receive a total of $4 million to outfit their respective fire departments with new buildings, reports bangordailynews.com.

Officials are asking for $1.7 million in federal funding to upgrade a building in Corinna to become a working firehouse. They also asked for $2.3 million to cover the cost of a new building that would house municipal offices and fire and emergency services for Howland and the communities the town’s department covers.

Despite having a population of just 1,207, Howland—which is 30 miles north of Bangor—is responsible for fire protection in more than a half-dozen communities that covers a 250-square-mile area, officials say. They add that smaller towns are facing ever-growing costs for equipment and a lack of volunteer personnel, forcing them to turn to departments like Howland’s, which is staffed around the clock.

The Howland Fire Department provides fire services for Maxfield, Passadumkeag, Burlington, Seboeis Plantation, Mattamiscontis, Brownsville, and a few other unincorporated areas, officials say.

In Corinna, crews have long been responsible for protecting neighboring Exeter, which pays Corinna $25,000 a year for the coverage. Corinna also has mutual-aid agreements with towns including Newport, Dexter, and St. Albans, the report says.

Howland’s current station, built for a volunteer force, lacks space. Corinna’s current station has water issues and can’t fit all the equipment. 

Hillsborough County, FL, officials recently broke ground on a new fire rescue station located in central Brandon, according to a report published by the Osprey Observer.

The new Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Station 45 will be located in one of the fastest growing and busiest parts of the county, the paper reported.

The two-bay station will be the first state-of-the-art facility with a clean entryway to help reduce the risk of cancer among firefighters, the newspaper reported.

By late spring of 2022, the new station is expected to be open and ready to respond to some of the more than 100,000 calls Hillsborough County Fire Rescue responds to annually, according to the newspaper.

Firefighters with the Ontonagon (MI) Fire Department recently got a $227,995 grant to help replace a 30-year-old rescue truck, according to an article published by The Daily Mining Gazette.

The paper reported the grant was from Michigan’s Financial Distressed Cities Villages and Townships (FDCVT) Grant Program and will be used to replace an apparatus put in service in 1989.

The fire department has until September 2025 to spend the money, but village officials say the process should be complete by the end of the year, the newspaper reported.

A St. Louis (MO) Fire Department apparatus was involved in a crash Wednesday, reports kmov.com.

The crash occurred in north St. Louis around 8:45 a.m. near North Kingshway Boulevard and Natural Bridge. Police officials say a sedan was also involved in the crash.

Paramedics are at the scene, but injury information hasn’t yet been released.