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The John H. Glenn Jr. and the Spirit of Washington after Saturday’s collision. Photos by Alan Etter, DC Fire & EMS Department.
NEW: Exclusive first look at security camera video of the collision
Click here for DCFD.com slideshow of DC’s fire boats and an earlier story, prior to the John Glenn’s 2003 rehab.
A collision on the DC waterfront has sidelined the city’s 72-foot fire boat with significant damage to its hull. DC Fire & EMS Department spokesman Alan Etter tells STATter911.com the incident happened just after 1:00 PM Saturday as the crew from the Spirit of Washington was repositioning the vessel at the Spirit Cruises dock. That dock is next to the police & fire boat pier in the Washington Channel, along Maine Avenue in Southwest.
The Spirit Cruises dock is on the left of this Google Map satellite image, with the blue arrow pointing to the Spirit of Washington. The DC fire and police dock is on the right with the red arrow showing the John Glenn. Click the image for more.
According to Etter, a gust of wind apparently pushed the stern of the 160-foot cruise vessel into the starboard side of the docked fire boat known as the John H. Glenn Jr. Etter says the collision peeled back a portion of the Glenn’s hull “like a sardine can”. The gash is about 15-feet-long and is above the water line. Etter says at least two ribs of the boat’s hull were also damaged.
Four crew members were on the Spirit and three firefighters were aboard the Glenn. There were no injuries.
The John Glenn was built in 1962 and had been part of FDNY’s fleet of fire boats. DC acquired it in 1978.
Etter expects the boat to be out of service for some time. In a press release Etter says the Glenn “is a critical resource for fire suppression, rescue and ice breaking on the upper Potomac River.”
The last time the Glenn was unavailable for a lengthy period of time was during a 2003 refurbishing that provided new engines and electronics for the boat.
Spirit Cruises vice president and general manager Sal Naso told The Washington Post, “They were just turning it around. It’s done a thousand times a year. We’re obviously going to take care of the fire department.”
The US Coast and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Harbor Branch are investigating.
The Spirit Cruise Line’s docks. Click the image for the Google Street View of the Maine Avenue waterfront area. The larger boat, on the left, is the one involved in this afternoon’s collision.
YouTube video of a previous meeting between the John H. Glenn Jr. and the Spirit of Washington.
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Sure hope that National Airport doesn't try to match LGA's recent Hudson River ditching while the Glenn is OOS. In NYC there were plenty of ferries around to take off pax prior to the plane sinking – not so on the Potomac.
Plus, if the river freezes, the FD has NO capability to respond anywhere without the Glenn – perhaps the city could buy the fire department one of those nice airboats the police have. Maybe the USCG could temporarily relocate one of the ice-capable tugs.
The fireboat is the ultimate "what if?" insurance policy, rarely used, but absolutely irreplaceable.
I hope the find a temporary replacement for the Glenn. The previous poster stated that it is not used frequently, but that is far from true. It isn't often used for fire suppression, but it is frequently used for Search & Rescue, Medical Response and Transports for Incidents on and near the water, boater assistance, and mutual aid to surrounding jurisdictions.