The John P. Devaney was a fireboat operated briefly by the Fire Department of New York City in 1994. [1] It was named after a firefighter who lost his life in the line of duty. [1] [2]
The John P. Devaney and her sister ship, the Alfred E. Ronaldson, were experimental surface-effect ship designs related to hovercraft. [1] They had a pair of catamaran hulls. A rubber skirt between the hulls could be inflated by powerful fans, enabling them to travel at over 30 knots (56 km/h). The fibreclass hulls were shipped from Europe, equipped with a high-tech sensor suite.
At $3.5 million each, the vessels were expensive. After being commissioned in June 1992, but were operated for only five months, withdrawn in November 1992 because their maintenance was too complicated. [1]