AllMovie

John Biffar, former head of the NYFD Marine Division, tells the remarkable story of the retired fireboat that became a crucial component in the fight against the blazes that erupted when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. When the sun rose on that fateful morning, the retired fireboat John Harvey was secured at her dock on the Hudson River, a forgotten tourist attraction. It seemed that her career was over, but rather than sailing off into the sunset or being sold for scrap metal, she was about to perform an encore. In the aftermath of the attacks, the John Harvey was one of many vessels recruited to fight the raging infernos and get water to Ground Zero. But the John Harvey is but one boat in a force that has helped to keep New York safe for a century. As veterans of the service recall such disasters as the explosive ammunition ship fire in 1943, naval architects and historians reveal the origins and evolution of the Division. Later, viewers descend below the deck to get a glimpse at the state-of-the-art ships that are used by the Division today as the brave men and women who make up the team participate in intensive training maneuvers.