John Kendall (fireboat)
The John Kendall was a fireboat operated by the Detroit Fire Department from 1930 to 1976.[1][2] During her service as a fireboat she continued to be propelled by steam engines, requiring a crew of ten, five of whom were required to stoke her boiler.[3] She was converted to a tugboat, and her steam engines were finally replaced by diesel engines. She served an additional 20 years as a tug, out of Alpena, Michigan.
The vessel was 135 feet (41 m) long.[3]
namesake
The vessel's namesake had followed his father's footsteps, and joined the Fire Department as a volunteer, when he was just fourteen years old.[4] He served the Department for 58 years. John Kendall was appointed Detroit's third Fire Department Chief in 1898.[2] Detroit's first two Fire Chiefs, James Battle and James R. Elliott had previously been honored by having the Department's second and third fireboats named after them. Detroit's fifth and most recent fireboat, the Curtis Randolph, was named after a firefighter who died in the line of duty.
See all
References
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Bob Toth. "Fireboat converted to Tug". Retrieved 2015-02-28.
The Detroit fireboat John Kendall was decommissioned in 1976 and the following year was purchased by Robert Massey of Pan Oceanic Engineering Corp, Alpena Michigan.
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"Vintage Detroit fireboats". Archived from the original on 2012-12-08.
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Bob Dombrowski (2014). "38 Years a Detroit Firefighter's Story". Page Publishing. ISBN 9781628384178. Retrieved 2015-02-28.
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"Detroit Fire Department's First Paid Employee". Detroit Fire Department Legacy. 2014-05-12. Retrieved 2015-02-28.
Without doubt David Kendall's service with the fire department had a impact on his son, John. John Kendall joined the department at 14 years old as a volunteer. He stayed with the department 53 years and eventually became chief in 1898. Detroit's third fire boat was named the "John Kendall" in his honor.
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