A Floating Hydrant
Fireboats Have Plenty of Water
The fireboat sometimes shows off. It
puts on a water display for tourists
and important Washington visitors.
Sparky reminds us to prevent fires on
land, sea and in the air! He is very
busy the week of October 9. This is
National Fire Prevention Week. That
is when the big Chicago fire blazed in
197H ?, n, y if si if i
The John H. Glenn fire boat in action. The boat can pump water at the rate of ft^SOO IpIloM
per minute. A fire truck can only pump 750 gallons a minute. The boat is ? ? after John
Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth. He is now a U.S. senator from Ohio.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -
The John H. Glenn
fireboat has plenty of
water.
All it has to do is pump
water from the Potomac
River.
Many harbors and rivers
have fireboats.
People's boats catch fire
just like their houses do.
Fireboats alsoput out
fires on shore. They pump
water to dockside blazes.
They can also hook up to
hoses on land and pump
water several blocks away.
Fireboats don't just put
out fires.
In bad weather, they
often swing into action.
They rush to rescue boats
in trouble.
When an alarm sounds,
the firefighters can have
the boat under way in 30
seconds.
The firemen live in a
firehouse at the end of a
dock.
The engineer
works down
below to
keep the
engines
running and
the pumps
pumping.
2
The pilot at the boat'* helm, or steering wheel.
He must navigate the boat and know all about
the 42 miles of shoreline the boat protects.
Draw a
line to
these
words on
this page.
? people's
? don't
? Potomac
? harbors
? rescue
? under
way
A firefighteretend^I^h^bow,
the front of a boat. Firefighter*
on boat* wear uniform* jaet like
thoee worn by firefighters om
?2