..An ordinance was passed in 1890 appropriating $35,000 for the organization of a fireboat company, and construction of the boat. The company in charge of the boat was designated Engine Company #16, which was organized with twelve men, including a Captain, Lieutenant, two Pilots, three Engineers, three Stokers and two Pipemen. The boat, named "Cataract", was placed in active service on July 1, 1891 at "Commercial Wharf" in Fells Point, and by the end of the year the Chief Engineer reported "it has saved several times the cost of the boat and equipment already".
..On June 12, 1897 the fireboat "Cataract" was placed out of service for an extensive overhaul and if a fire occured along the 15 miles of the harbor's waterfront, Engine Co. #3's steamer was to be placed on a barge, and towed to the scene of the fire.
..During this out of service period, a General Alarm fire occured on August 15, 1897, at the yards of the Tunis Lumber Company, along the waterfront on Boston Street, destroying all sheds, out-buildings, a floating drydock, houseboat "Guthrie", and the lumber schooner "Cadet". Had the fireboat been available, it was felt the blaze could have been contained to the shaving house on the waterfront, and the call for the organization of a second fireboat company was initiated.
..As the inferno approached the harbor, the Fire Boat "Cataract" was dispatched to Pratt and Light Street, arriving at 7 PM., and pumped six lines of hose to the companies working on Baltimore Street. This operation was soon discontinued, as the heavy horse and wagon traffic on the downtown streets cut the hose to ribbons. The Fire Boat kept up steam, and waited, as the fire neared the harbor. Light Street and its numerous wooden docks had a narrow escape, and would no doubt have gone down in the general destruction but for the work of Captain German and the crew of the "Cataract", who faught the flames with all the stubbornness of men fighting in the last ditch. The "Cataract" poured thousands of tons of water upon the docks of Pratt Street as the unstoppable flames continued to advance through the night.
..The Fire Department's strategy was to keep the fire on the west side of Jones Falls, which seperated the fire area from East Baltimore. 37 steam fire engines from Baltimore and surrounding cities and towns took up position along the Falls to battle the inferno.
..Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday, the flames jumped over to the east side of the Falls at the Maine Lake Ice Company near the harbor, and all of East Baltimore was threatened. The fireboat "Cataract", revenue cutter "William Windom", the tugs "Venus" and "Mary", along with a B&O Railroad tug, made an all out effort to pump full force with every stream available and the flames that had jumped the Falls were subdued and the City was saved.
..In September of 1909, Engine Co. #16 moved to a new more spacious "double house", on Municipal Pier #7, foot of President Street, at the Inner Harbor. The house was designed to accommodate a second fireboat company, for which plans were being prepared.
..In March of 1911, the second fireboat, Engine Co. #39, with the new "Deluge" was placed in service at the fireboat station with Engine Co. #16.
..On April 22, 1912, the Marine Division of the Fire Department was created, consisting of Engine Co. #16 and #39, formerly of the 2nd Battalion. Captain James N. Robb was placed in command, to report directly to the Chief Engineer at Headquarters. The Marine Division now consisted of 39 members, with Lieutenant Charles H. Wilser in charge of the "Cataract", and Lieutenant John A. Roberts in charge of the "Deluge".
..A Board of Fire Underwriters Report conducted for Baltimore stated that it was undesirable to station both fireboats together at the Inner Harbor, and recommended that the second boat be provided seperate quarters to better serve the Locust Point area. In compliance with the report in 1917, Engine Co. #39, with the "Deluge" was relocated to new quarters at Fort McHenry, Locust Point.
..The year 1919 was one of great expansion and growth for the City, as they annexed over 60 square miles from Baltimore and Anne Arundel Counties, increasing the size of the City from 30 to 92 square miles. With this annexation, the waterfront of the harbor increased from 15 to 45 miles of shoreline, and plans were made for two more fireboat companies to protect the heavily industrialized Canton and Curtis Bay areas.
..In 1921, Engine Co. #49 was placed in active service with the "S.C.- 428" being stationed in the annexed Curtis Bay area, and in 1922, Engine Co. #48, with the "Torrent" was placed in active service in the annexed Canton area. In this year, the commanding officer of the Marine Division was redesignated Battalion Chief #12 and was assigned a "Tender" boat, to be used as a command and inspection vessel.
..With four fireboats now in service at various strategic points about the harbor, a blaze anywhere on the waterfront would find at least one of them on the scene within 1 to 10 minutes. All could be working together in an absolute maximum of half an hour. The assignments are so arranged as to provide transfer of fireboats in the event the others are engaged in the extinguishment of fires.
..The fleet remained unchanged for 35 years, until the "Torrent" was replaced, with the addition of the new all steel diesel fireboat, "Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro,Jr.", in September, 1956. The three remaining boats were becoming obsolete and a million dollar bond issue was approved to provide three new identical, 85', diesel fireboats to replace the "Cataract", "Deluge", and "Cascade". The new boats, "P.W. Wilkinson", "Mayor J. Harold Grady", and "August Emrich" were placed in service by October 1960. Baltimore's Fireboat fleet was now the most modern and well equipped in the nation.
..By the early 1970's Baltimore Harbor was beginning to change as heavy industrial and manufacturing plants gave way to automobile imports and containers. With this change a downsizing of the Marine Division, commenced on December 1, 1971 when Engine Co. #49 at Wagners Point was disbanded. The City failed to obtain funds from other state and local governments to assist with port fire protection, and on June 30, 1972, Engine Co. #48, at Colgate creek was also disbanded. On the same date a reorganization of the Marine Division was made as follows: Engine Co. #16 at President Street is now known as Fireboat #1, Engine Co. #39 at Fort McHenry is now known as Fireboat #2. The Marine Battalion chief remained at the President Street station.
..On March 28, 1974, the Marine Battalion was disbanded and the two fire boat companies were placed in the 2nd Battalion. The Marine Battalion Chiefs were reassigned to the newly formed 11th Battalion in northwest Baltimore.
..Since much of the waterfront was now owned and operated by the Maryland Port Authority, the State of Maryland began to provide the City with financial aid to assist with port fire protection in 1975. On December 15, 1975, Fireboat #1 was relocated from the Inner Harbor to the former station of Engine Co. #48 at Colgate Creek to more effectively cover the lower end of the harbor.
..As the shipyards, canneries, and chemical works on the northwest branch of the harbor disappeared, they were replaced by huge marinas, and hundreds of pleasure boaters now call the harbor home. In response to this change, the Fire Department placed a 24', fast response Fire/Rescue Boat in service with the Marine Division in 1989. It is dispatched on all box assignments with the big boat to access areas in shallow water or tight spots at marinas and wharves. The Fire/Rescue boat is also charged with providing EMS upon the waters of Baltimore Harbor. The vessel is ALS equipped and once a patient is packaged they are transported within minutes to one of several predetermined locations to meet a land Medic unit. Stationed at Fireboat #2, Fort McHenry, it is manned by two Emergency Boat Operators, and is in service 365 days a year.
..On December 14, 1991, Fireboat #1, along with Engine Co's 7, 17, 18, and 34 were disbanded as an economy measure, leaving the Marine Division with Fireboat #2 and the Fire/Rescue boat at Fort McHenry.
..With Fireboat #2 at Fort McHenry being the only fire boat company left in service, it was redesignated Fireboat #1 on July 1, 1992.
..On July 1, 2005, Fireboat Company No.1 was reassigned to the 6th Battalion.
..Today the Marine Division consists of 37 Officers and men manning Fireboat #1, "John R. Frazier", with a crew of five, which includes one Fire Officer, one Marine Pilot, two Marine Engineer, and one Firefighter, along with Fire/Rescue Boat #1, a 30' SeaArk, with a crew of two Emergency Boat Operators, both boats operating out of Baltimores only remaining Fireboat Station at Fort McHenry.