Metal Shark Delivers 1st of Two Advanced New Fireboats to Tampa Fire Rescue

[By: Metal Shark]

Boat builder Metal Shark has announced the delivery of a new 40’ x 12’ welded aluminum monohull pilothouse fireboat to Tampa Fire Rescue. Designed in-house by Metal Shark and built at the company’s Jeanerette, Louisiana production facility, the new vessel is the first of two next-generation 38 Defiant NXT fireboats being built for the Department.

Powered by triple 300 hp Yamaha outboards with HelmMaster controls and joystick operational capability, the new 38 Defiant NXT combines proven high-speed performance with exceptional maneuverability. The vessel is purpose-built to enable Tampa Fire Rescue to deliver faster response and increased capability across a wide range of critical missions.

Tampa Fire Rescue is charged with the responsibility of primary fire suppression in and about Port Tampa Bay and the surrounding industrialized area, the 42-mile Tampa shipping channel, and all waters of Tampa Bay from downtown Tampa to the barrier island of Egmont Key. Search and rescue missions, including emergency medical response are also within the scope of the Department’s mission.

“Our Defiant NXT firefighting vessels are specifically designed to meet the complex mission challenges faced by Tampa Fire Rescue and many other departments across the nation,” said Dean Jones, Metal Shark VP of Sales for LE, Fire/Rescue and Specialty Markets. “The 38 Defiant NXT is right-sized, versatile, crew-friendly, and designed for safe and efficient mission execution, making it the perfect platform for Tampa Fire Rescue. Our fireboat specialists worked closely with the Tampa Fire Rescue team to design and outfit this vessel to meet the demanding and specific needs of their personnel.”

The Department’s new vessel features Metal Shark’s NXT EMS response cabin equipped with three SHOXS shock-mitigating seats, an EMS bench, dedicated officer/communications and firefighting control stations, and comprehensive gear storage for EMS, fire suppression, dive, and rescue operations. Equipped with a Honeywell CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosive) detection system and an HDT cabin filtration and pressurization package, the vessel is fully prepared for HAZMAT and CBRNE response missions at the Port or at sea.

Firefighting capabilities are anchored by a Darley fire pump drawing from a fully flooded Seachest and delivering 1,500 GPM via NFPA piping and electronically controlled valves to a remote-operated monitor. This configuration enables long-range throw for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore operations. Additional features include dual 2.5” handline discharges, a 5” Storz hydrant discharge for supplying land-based apparatus, and a 40-gallon quick-fill foam injection system for AFFF firefighting capability.

For search and rescue (SAR), dive, and emergency medical missions, the vessel offers a urethane-sheathedclosed-cell foam collar by Wing, bow push knees, port and starboard full-height hinged dive doors, a dedicated dive/rescue ladder, SCBA and dive tank storage, and Metal Shark’s exclusive full EMS-size bow access hatch. A generator-powered HVAC system ensures cabin climate control, while advanced Raymarine electronics, FLIR thermal imaging system with dedicated Nauticomp LCD display, long-range search lighting, and a full emergency lighting package support safe and effective operations around the clock.

“The delivery of this advanced new fireboat represents a significant capability boost for Tampa Fire Rescue,” said Metal Shark CEO Chris Allard. “We are proud to support Tampa and departments across the country with purpose-built vessels designed to meet the evolving challenges faced by first responders on the water.” Metal Shark is delivering new fireboats to over a dozen fire departments nationwide in an 18-month span as part of its ongoing expansion in the fireboat market.

The new Tampa Fire Rescue 38 Defiant NXT will be joined by a second sister vessel in 2026, further strengthening Tampa’s ability to respond rapidly to a wide range of emergencies on the water.