Port of Long Beach moves ahead with fireboat stations for big ship era

New facilities will provide emergency response, house fireboats

The Port of Long Beach took another step toward building two new fireboat stations that are vital to protecting a major commercial gateway for the nation. On Monday, Harbor Commissioners approved engineering design services for Fireboat Stations Nos. 15 and 20. The Commission also approved a baseline project budget of $50.1 million for the first station to be built, Fireboat Station No. 15. Station 15 will be located on the Main Channel, and is scheduled to be completed in 2020. Fireboat Station No. 20, with an estimated budget of $51.6 million, will be located in the Port’s Inner Harbor. It is scheduled to be completed in 2021.  “These fireboat stations will safeguard the Port and our customers in this new era of big ships,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero. “They will provide the best waterside response possible, maximize landside firefighting coverage and serve as a home for our new, state-of-the-art fireboats. “With ships more than doubling in size in the last decade and cargo traffic breaking monthly records, this is a needed upgrade to Port safety,” he said. The fireboat stations will each include living quarters, a garage for firefighting apparatus and a full waterside wharf with enclosure for the fireboat. The facilities, in keeping with the Port’s status as a worldwide leader in sustainable seaport operations, will be designed to attain the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Program’s (LEED) gold rating. The stations will use water-saving technology, energy-efficient appliances, natural ventilation and other features. Later this year, Commissioners will consider putting the construction of the project out to bid. The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. With 175 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, the Port handles $180 billion in trade annually, supporting hundreds of thousands of Southern California jobs.