Paddle fireboats

[KC6OLD]

I just come across a GREAT picture of a steam-twin stacked fire boat (blowing
great gouts of black smoke & water every which-way) I came upon a question:
Were there any Paddle/Fire boats?
It would be neat to combine my passions Fireboats+Paddleboats+ Radio Control=
fun!
Gunner Dave

[Paulrjordan]

Hey GD!

What a great thread! Surely fireboats MUST have existed in some form
or other. Something tells me we're not going to find a lovely shiny
fire engine red paddler resplendant with hoses and polished brass
monitors every 20 feet! (Mind you..you NEVAH KNOW!!)..but there must
have been some way of fighting fires from the water during the many
years of paddler navigation.

What I CAN tell you is that my favourite sidewheel Paddle Tugs, the
RMAS (Royal Maritime Auxilliary Service) "Director" Class, were
equipped with two 4" fire monitors. The forward one was on a platform
on the foredeck, while the midships one was mounted above the bridge
on the compass deck. I suspect tugs and towboats MAY have been
equipped with fire fighting equipment and monitors as part of their
salvage gear, but having just gone cover to cover in P. N Thomas'
book "British Steam Tugs" I can't see any evidence of deck mounted
fire fighting equipment or any hint of monitors. Hmmm..there HAS to an
answer to this!

So come on, Paddleducks.. sing out if you've ever heard of or, better
still, have information and/or images of a paddlewheel fire
boat...after all we DID manage to find paddlewheeled AIRCAFT
CARRIERS!!

Thanks again Gunner Dave!

PJ