GPA Provides Engineering Services to the City of Seattle

Seattle, Washington- Guido Perla and Associates, Inc. (GPA) announced that the naval architecture firm based in Seattle, Washington will provide design and construction administration services for construction of a retrofit of the Chief Seattle fireboat for the Seattle Fire Department. The Chief Seattle, built in 1985 and measuring 29.4 meters in length, is the City of Seattle’s fourth fireboat and is docked on Elliott Bay for primary response on saltwater and freshwater, with the capacity to pump 7,500 gallons of water per minute (gpm) and 800 gallons of foam. Currently, the vessel is powered by a three-engine, three-shaft configuration and is able to achieve 24 knots. The main priority of the retrofit are the replacement of the main propulsion engines, reducing them from three to two drive engines, as well as a capacity increase of the fire pumps to 10,000+ gpm, while the foam capacity will remain at its rate. Furthermore, GPA’s design services include among other modifications the upgrade of the engine room ventilation system and the 12V DC electrical service panel, replacement of the AC electrical generators, installation of a bow thruster, relocation of the foam storage tank from foredeck to forward hold and the upgrade of the bilge system. The Chief Seattle will comply with ABS and Lloyds Firefighting II requirements, as well as meet national Fire Protection Association 1925 Standard on Marine Firefighting Vessels. Prior to the upcoming retrofit of the Chief Seattle, GPA has supported the Seattle Fire Department in 2005 by providing detailed construction engineering for the F/B Leschi, the newest member of the Seattle fireboat family primarily serving the city’s waterfront. The F/B Leschi is a multifunctional large platform fireboat designed to be a floating response for much more than fires, including issues such as devastating earthquakes, Home Port Security operational issues and Chemical, Biological and Nuclear incidents. Guido Perla and Associates, Inc. was founded in 1979 and is recognized as a world leader in naval architecture and marine engineering.