Mystic — The most decorated fireboat in the world will return to Mystic Seaport Museum next spring after undergoing extensive efforts to restore and preserve its firefighting apparatus.

The historic vessel Fire Fighter is in Quonset Point, R.I., where the J. Goodison Shipyard will rip out the entire fire main system, replace all the piping for the boat’s water cannons, and complete extensive steel work on the upper decks and in the engine room.

“The idea is to keep it so we can keep pumping water for the next 50 years if we can,” said Charlie Ritchie, president and founder of the Fireboat Fire Fighter Museum, the organization that owns and operates Fire Fighter.

A Save America’s Treasures grant through the Department of the Interior and a matching grant through the RL Gardner Foundation of Riverhead, N.Y., totaling approximately $900,000, is funding the work.

Ritchie said the project could not be done at the Seaport because it involved extensive metal work, but the National Historic Landmark will return to the museum afterward to continue offering tours and demonstrations of the powerful water cannons.

Fire Fighter was the largest fireboat in the world and the first diesel-electric fireboat when it was built in 1938.

During its 72 years in service with the New York City Maritime Fleet of the Fire Department of New York, Fire Fighter fought countless fires, including one aboard the French ocean liner Normandie in 1942, which killed one and injured approximately 275. It spent three weeks pumping water to firetrucks at the World Trade Center site after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.

The FDNY retired Fire Fighter in 2010, but not before the vessel participated in the 2009 rescue of US Airways Flight 1549 passengers after its emergency landing in the Hudson River.

Today, the nonprofit Fireboat Fire Fighter Museum maintains and operates Fire Fighter with a mission to preserve and protect the fully functioning piece of maritime history and provide educational programming through partnerships with the FDNY and museums like the Mystic Seaport Museum, where Fire Fighter has been since early 2021.

The boat’s landmark status means that no significant alterations can be made to the exterior of the boat or its systems, including the firefighting apparatus and antiquated direct current engine that converts diesel fuel to electricity, which makes it difficult to find experienced engineers.

Ritchie explained they are raising funds and seeking in-kind donations to complete capital improvement projects as well as monetary donations to cover operating costs, but the vessel is also in need of volunteers.

“I think the one thing that is critical right now is volunteer engineers, and that’s been a really hard thing,” he said, adding that he would really love to find one who can train the next generation of engineers.

The boat is still capable of fighting fires, but the antiquated direct current power plant on board means that most people with the knowledge are in their 70s and 80s and can no longer manage the strenuous work.

Ritche pointed to the 2022 Seaport Marine fire in Mystic and said Fire Fighter could have provided support if they had a local engineer.

More information about Fire Fighter is available at americasfireboat.org, and individuals interested in volunteer opportunities should email ceritchie1@aol.com.