Area Served[]
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS), also known as the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard located on Seavey Island, which sits at the mouth of the Piscataqua River beside the Gulf of Maine and Atlantic Ocean in the Town of Kittery in York County, Maine. The shipyard is situated on the southern boundary of the State of Maine, opposite the City of Portsmouth in the State of New Hampshire. Founded in 1800, PNS is the US Navy's oldest continuously operating shipyard and is one of four remaining naval shipyards in the nation. Encompassing more than 297 acres, the installation includes the main base, as well as a family housing site off-base in Kittery. Many of the buildings located at the shipyard are in a historic district; of them, 50 are currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, most of its work concerns the overhaul, repair, and modernization of submarines. The shipyard employs approximately 8,000 civilian federal employees and 1,000 officer and enlisted personnel. In addition to the Navy presence, the United States Army New England Recruiting Battalion moved to Portsmouth in June 2010 from the closed Brunswick Naval Air Station. The United States Coast Guard uses the Portsmouth Navy Yard as the home port for the medium-endurance cutters Reliance, Tahoma, and Campbell.
Mutual Aid[]
Portsmouth F&ES also provides mutual aid response to the Kittery Fire Department and to the Portsmouth Fire Department (New Hampshire), as well as further areas as part of the Seacoast Chief Fire Officers Mutual Aid District.
Department Profile[]
Structure firefighting, emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, technical rescue, fire prevention and inspection for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is provided by Navy Region Mid-Atlantic District 8 Fire & Emergency Services / Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Fire Department, comprised of 35 civilian Department of Defense firefighters.
History[]
What is today called Seavey's Island was originally five separate islands conjoined to accommodate the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. When Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Stoddert decided to create the first federal shipyard in 1800, he authorized the purchase for $5,500 of Fernald's Island (also called Dennett's Island). The largest of the five, Seavey's Island, would be annexed in 1866 and give the grouping its familiar name. Approved by Congress in 1900, a 750-foot granite drydock was built in the former gut between Fernald's and Seavey's islands. Barracks were built in 1820, with Marine barracks added in 1827. A hospital was established in 1834. In 1905, construction began on the Portsmouth Naval Prison, a military prison dubbed "The Castle" because of its resemblance to a crenellated castle. It was the principal prison for the Navy and Marine Corps, as well as housing for many German U-boat crews after capture, until it closed in 1974. During World War I, the shipyard began constructing submarines. Meanwhile, the base continued to overhaul and repair surface vessels. Consequently, the workforce grew to nearly 5,000 civilians. It grew to almost 25,000 civilians in World War II when over 70 submarines were constructed at the yard, with a record of four launched in a single day. When the war ended, the shipyard became the Navy's center for submarine design and development.
Apparatus Roster[]
- All pump/tank measurements are in US gallons.
- US Government License Plate in brackets starting with N# denoting US Navy
Station 26 - Sicard Street @ Wyman Avenue (Building 107), Kittery[]
- Flood 1 - 2009 Ford step van
- Car A-8 (Duty Chief) - 202? Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4x4 w/ canopy
- Engine 81 - 2004 International 4400 / Pierce Contender (1250/750/25A/25B) (SN#15608-4740993)
- Ladder 81 (N74-00123) - 2012 Pierce Arrow XT 6x4 (2000/300/105' rear-mount) (SN#26020)
- Squad 81 - 2015 KME Predator Severe Service walk-around rescue
- Hazmat 81 - 1994 KME Renegade / 2013 Firetrucks Unlimited walk-around (Ex-Naval Station Newport Fire Department, ex-Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Fire and Emergency Services)
- Rescue 81 - 20?? Ford F-450 / Wheeled Coach Type I ambulance
- Engine 82 - 2015 E-One
- Rescue 82 - 2010 Ford F-450 / Wheeled Coach Type I ambulance
- Engine 83 - 2025 Pierce Saber 7000 (1250/650) (SN#40648)
- Chief - 2013 Ford Explorer 4x4
- Assistant Chief - 2013 Dodge Durango 4x4 (Ex-Car A-8)
- Decon Trailer - 1997 Pace trailer
- Hazmat Trailer - 1996 Pace trailer
- Generator Trailer - 1988 Leen trailer
- 2006 International 7600 SBA 6x4 / Pierce P-26 dryside tanker (1250/4000) (SN#18325-06927446)
- 2010 Pierce Contender (1250/750) (SN#22457-12) (Ex-Engine 83)
Retired Apparatus[]
- 2002 Ford E-350 / Wheeled Coach Type III ambulance (Ex-Rescue 81)
- 1999 Pierce Saber walk-in rescue (SN#10020/ED020) (Ex-HazMat 81) (Sold to Seacoast Technical Assistance Response Team)
- 1998 E-One Cyclone / 2014 Firetrucks Unlimited refurb pumper (1250/500) (Ex-Engine 82)
- 1997 Pierce Arrow aerial (-/-/105' rear-mount ladder) (SN#EA669) (Ex-Ladder 1)
- 1996 Pierce Saber pumper (1250/750) (Ex-Engine 2)
- 1994 Pierce Dash pumper (1250/750) (SN#E8200-02)
- 1994 Pierce Dash pumper (1250/750) (SN#E8200-01)
- 1994 Pierce Dash pumper (1250/750) (SN#E8154-02) (Ex-Engine 82, ex-Engine 4)
- 1993 Ford E-350 / Wheeled Coach Type III ambulance (Sold to Hampton Falls Fire Department)
- 1986 Pierce Dash pumper (1000/750) (SN#E3206-07) (Ex-Engine 3)
- 1983 Seagrave Invader pumper (1000/500) (Ex-Engine 2)
- 1974 American LaFrance 1000 Series aerial (-/-/85' mid-mount ladder) (Ex-Ladder 1) (Sold to Limerick Fire Department (Maine)
- 1972 Mack L-Series pumper
- (73-00267) 1942 Mack L- Series pumper (1000/?) (Preserved at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard museum)