On October 12, 2008, nearby Angel Island, a state park, was struck by serious brush fires.[2]Fireboat Tiburon was one of the nearby fireboats which helped bring those fires under control.
Fireboat Tiburon has rescued recreational boaters when their vessels were ablaze, helped fight those fires, and helped prevent the burning vessels from alighting vessels moored nearby.[3][4]
On April 20, 2019, the Tiburon, and several other fireboats, engaged in a search for kayakers whose craft capsized.[5] The kayakers were ultimately rescued by a California Highway Patrol helicopter, two hours after the boaters phoned 911.
Design
Fireboat Tiburon, like other fireboats purchased with the help of a port security grant, has first aid facilities and sensors for search and rescue.[1]
The vessel is a catamaran, with a 22 inch draft, and twin 380 brake horsepower (280 kW) diesels engines power waterjets, not propellers, allowing her to be able to risk getting close to shore, without damage.[6]
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Tad Whitaker (2006-08-22). "A new lifesaver in Tiburon". Marin Independent Journal. Archived from the original on 2016-02-02. Retrieved 2016-01-30. A Federal Emergency Management Agency grant paid $294,000 of the $380,000 cost of the new vessel. That means the town paid just $86,000 for a 35-foot aluminum catamaran that some said handles like a Jet Ski.
^"Angel Island Fires". Dvidshub. 2008-10-13. Archived from the original on 2016-01-30. Retrieved 2016-01-30. A fireboat from the Tiburon Fire Department attempts to extinguish fires here Oct. 13, 2008.
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Janis Mara (2014-04-06). "8 rescued after boat catches fire near Tiburon". Marin Independent Journal. Archived from the original on 2016-02-02. Retrieved 2016-01-30. Also, 911 was called and Fireboat Tiburon of the Tiburon Fire Protection District and Fireboat Liberty from the Southern Marin Fire Protection District were dispatched, according to the Tiburon department.
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Gary Klien (2015-03-08). "Boaters rescued off Tiburon after 43-foot yacht catches fire". Marin Independent Journal. Archived from the original on 2016-02-02. Retrieved 2016-01-30. Ayers said fire boat crews spent about two hours extinguishing the flames while keeping the yacht away from the shore and other bay traffic. He said the damage to the boat could exceed $200,000, if it is salvagable at all.
^"Agencies Make Night Rescue Of Capsized Kayakers". San Francisco Chronicle. 2019-04-21. Retrieved 2019-04-22. The United States Coast Guard sent a helicopter to conduct a search while the San Rafael, Tiburon, Southern Marin and Kentfield fire departments launched fireboats and deployed crews along the shore.
