Fireboat No. 1, Tacoma

Fireboat No. 1 is a preserved historic fireboat displayed near the waterfront, where it recalls the working harbour that shaped the area. Built in 1929 by Coastline Shipbuilding Company, it served for more than half a century as the port’s only firefighting vessel. That long solitary service gave it an unusual place in American maritime history: it is described as the only fireboat in the United States to protect a major port by itself for more than 50 years.

The boat was built for waterfront emergencies involving docks, fuel sites, warehouses, and ships. Its best-known feature was the bow-mounted “Big Bertha” cannon, which could pump about 6,500 gallons per minute and throw water up to 475 feet. Deck pipes also sprayed a protective water curtain around the vessel, helping the crew approach intense fires.

Its work extended beyond firefighting to harbour patrols, search and rescue, pollution control, and life-saving calls. It also became familiar through coloured-water displays during Fourth of July celebrations. Retired in 1983 after 54 years of service, Fireboat No. 1 was placed in a permanent dry berth, added to the National Register of Historic Places later that year, and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989.