Why is That Big Red Boat on Ruston Way?

The boat is actually the first vessel to be built expressly as a fireboat for service on the West Coast. CoastLine Ship Building built it here in Tacoma in 1929 for $148,000. The boat could exceed 14 knots with the help of triple screws powered by massive 625 horsepower engines. It is equipped with seven monitors, or nozzles, capable of spraying over 10,000 gallons of water per minute, the equivalent of ten fire engines. The main forward monitor, nicknamed "Big Bertha", was capable of spraying 6,500 gallons per minute and knocking the roof off of a warehouse to reach a fire inside.

Fireboat No. 1 is one of only five boats nationally to be distinguished by the Park Service as a "National Historic Landmark". Thanks to a concerted effort by volunteers from our community, Fireboat No. 1 was saved from the scrap heap and in 1986 given a new home on Ruston Way. The fireboat is maintained thanks to such groups as Boy Scouts, Tacoma firefighters, the City of Tacoma and Metro Parks Tacoma.

While the boat was still in service it was also distinguished by the colorful water displays that it would produce for community Fourth of July celebrations. The creative crew of Fireboat No. 1 had found a way of mixing dyes with the spray from the monitors to produce a very unique aerial display. While we won't be starting the engines or spraying water, we do invite you aboard on this Fourth of July from 1:00 to 7:00 and, weather permitting, on weekends from July 4tth to September 4th from noon to 4:00.