***MEDIA ADVISORY***

New York City Fire Department to hold its
5th Annual Blessing of the Marine Fleet

Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta will be joined by FDNY officials and clergy tomorrow at Pier 17 of the South Street Seaport for the 5th Annual Blessing of the Fire Department’s Marine Fleet.  For over 130 years the FDNY Marine Division, the largest such division in the world, has played a critical role in emergencies throughout our city’s history.  The Marine Division is comprised of nine ships that assist in fire suppression and conduct water emergency missions along the city’s 560 miles of waterfront.

Seven FDNY fireboats will be giving a red, white and blue water salute to the American flag, in honor of Flag Day, as they pass the pier.  Accompanying them will be the John J. Harvey, built in 1931 and retired from the FDNY fleet in 1994, which will return to service for the procession.  The retired fireboat Harvey also voluntarily returned to service after the attacks on September 11, 2001, for 72 hours, in order to help pump water and put out the fires at Ground Zero.

As part of the Flag Day celebration and the Blessing of the Fleet, Fire Safety Education will be teaching fire safety techniques by handing out literature, coloring books and red helmets and the Fire Zone will be selling FDNY clothing in order to raise money for the Fire Foundation.

Note: Procession of the ships will start at the Brooklyn Bridge and pass alongside Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport

Photo-op

Press Contact: Francis X. Gribbon / Farrell Sklerov, FDNY (718) 999-2056

http://www.nyc.gov/fdny