February 1, 2012

2:02 PM

On February 1, 2012, the City of Portland announced that Oregon Iron Works, Inc., headquartered in Clackamas, Oregon, had won a competitive contract to built two new fireboats for Portland Fire & Rescue. Funds for the $5 million dollar project will come from the $72 million General Obligation Bond passed by Portland voters in 2010. $20 million dollar of the bond is earmarked to replace aging fire apparatus.

"’Made in Oregon’- a phrase that is music to my ears. I'm excited that Portland's new fireboats will be built right here by Oregon Iron Works," said U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley. "This is a needed investment for Portland Fire & Rescue and a great way to help create jobs in Oregon."

"Portland Fire has an aging fleet of fireboats that must be taken out of service on an increasing basis for repair and maintenance, impacting our marine response capabilities," notes Commissioner Randy Leonard, "These two new boats will insure dependable emergency response on Portland’s waterways for the next 40 years."

The aluminum boats will be built at the Clackamas, Oregon plant back to back with the latest navigational equipment, pumps, and controls. They will be powered by twin 1080 horse-powered engines that will drive two jet pumps, enabling the fireboats to achieve 40 knots, or just over 46 miles per hour.

Each boat will be 50 feet long and 15 feet across the beam. The boats will be capable of pumping over 7,000 gallons of water per minute to fight land and marine-based fires, as well as pump water to fire engines, if needed, during a catastrophic emergency. The boats will be ready to place in service in approximately one year.

"As a local small business manufacturer that employs hundreds of skilled Oregonians, we are delighted to build these reliable, safe, high-performance fireboats for the City of Portland," stated Robert Beal, Chief Executive Officer of Oregon Iron Works, Inc. "It’s good for our economy, it’s good for the safety and protection of our local citizens, and it supports real family-wage jobs with benefits."

About Oregon Iron Works

Oregon Iron Works, Inc. (OIW) is a specialty manufacturing firm with commercial, marine, nuclear, aerospace, hydroelectric, defense and transportation manufacturing divisions. Founded in 1944 in Portland, Oregon, the company has been under the same management since 1974. They have been building high performance aluminum, composite and steel hulled marine craft for the United States and other Governments and commercial operators since 1984, with over 300 boats delivered. The small business currently employs over 400 employees and is headquartered in Clackamas, Oregon, with additional manufacturing facilities in Vancouver, Washington. For more information visit www.oregoniron.com.

  Portland Fire & Rescue