Built in 1931, MV John J. Harvey, at 130 ft and 268 net tons, is
among the most powerful fireboats ever in service. She has five
600 HP diesel engines, and has capacity to pump 18,000 gallons
of water a minute. Her pumps are powerful -- enough so that when
she and the George Washington Bridge were both brand new, she
shot water over the bridge's roadway. She was retired by the New
York City Fire Department in 1994 and bought at auction by her
current owners in 1999. She was placed on The National Register
of Historic Places in June 2000. She served the FDNY from her
launch in 1931 to her retirement in 1994. Among the marine fires
at which she assisted were the Cunard Line pier fire in 1932,
the burning of the Normandie in 1942, and the ammunition ship El
Estero during World War II. She was named for marine fireman
John J. Harvey, killed when the Thomas Willet exploded during a
fire. She retired as Marine 2. On September 11, 2001, the boat's
owners asked FDNY officials for permission to assist in
evacuations f