The District’s oldest fireboat, and the only one that also serves as an icebreaker, is back in D.C. waters again after being out for repairs for years.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser joined D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly on Monday to take the John Glenn, which had been out of service since 2022, out for a brief tour.
At first, Donnelly said, the vessel — built in 1962 and obtained by D.C.’s fire department in 1977 — was out of service to get its regular 5-year check. However, upon inspection, officials determined the ship’s condition was more dire.
“This time once it got there, we found it needed a lot more work,” the fire chief said, acknowledging work needed along the hull.
“We upgraded the steering system, we replaced one of the keel coolers, which helps the engine stay cool,” Donnelly said. By the time all the work was done, the bill came to “about $2.5 million dollars,” he said.
Before boarding the boat for a brief trip with reporters, Bowser stood before the John Glenn with D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department divers who had responded to the deadly January collision between a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight. A total of 67 people died in that crash. There were no survivors.
With the dive team behind her, Bowser said they responded to the Jan. 29 crash and spent, “hour after hour, night after night, frigid night after frigid night” searching the Potomac River to ensure that the remains of every victim of the crash could be recovered to give some measure of comfort to their families.
Because it was under repair in Baltimore, the John Glenn was not available for deployment during the January recovery efforts.
At the time, D.C. Council member Charles Allen and David Hoagland, president of the D.C. Firefighters Association IAFF Local 36, raised concerns about the age of the John Glenn and the need for a new fireboat.
Donnelly told WTOP in January that the absence of the icebreaker was not a factor in recovery efforts for the aviation disaster.
With repairs and renovation work for the John Glenn now complete, Donnelly said, the department was in “pretty good shape” as the fireboat still has years of service left. However, he added, “We’re looking to replace it.”
Marine Pilot CJ Isbell, of DC Fire and EMS, said the investments made to update the vessel “make it a completely new boat for us.”
“We still have more work to be done, but it’s definitely in a much better place than it was,” he said, adding that more productive years were likely ahead “given the right investment and service.”
Bowser said the District “has about $34 million in the budget for its replacement over several years, and the department is currently working with a marine architect to design a new state-of-the-art fireboat.”
Standing at the helm of the fireboat, Bowser said “it feels great” to have the boat back on the water in the District, all while taking the opportunity to honk the boat’s horn which echoed along D.C.’s waterfront at the Wharf.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
