Historical Fire Boats – W.E. Parker

In 1948 the City of Monterey City Council authorized the purchased of the city's first fire boat. The hull of the W.E. Parker named after Monterey's first fire chief was purchased in San Francisco for $11,000. To equip it with first class fire fighting equipment would cost and additional $6,000. The City plan to spend and additional $10,000 in maintenance and salaries. 

The W.E. Parker a former tug boat was a trim 45 foot craft, 11 1/2 foot beam and have a 5 foot draft. The boat was powered with a 225 horsepower engine and will pump between 11,000 and 15,000 gallons of water per minute. The Fire Boat will protect the large fishing purse sines which cost on the average of $120,000 each.

Two full time personnel will be assigned to the boat with an additional person working relief shifts and at other times work with the regular fire fighters under Fire Chief Gregory Teaby.

On October 25, 1953 the W.E. Parker and its crew fought the Sun Beach and Custom House Packing cannery fires. The estimated loss was over $400,000. The fire boat was credited with keeping the piling on the ocean side from collapsing, pouring 1,800 gallons a minute for two hours, until it was forced to retreat from the rocks because of the ebbing tide.