Buffalo Fire Department’s Historic Fireboat

A National Historic Landmark, the E. M. Cotter, is the oldest active fireboat in the world. It was built in Elizabeth, New Jersey and arrived in Buffalo November 6, 1900. Built and commissioned during an era when Buffalo’s waterfront and port were booming, the Cotter has been an invaluable asset of fire protection for the numerous warehouses, grain elevators and other facilities that line Buffalo’s shores. After 105 years the Cotter continues serving the citizens and properties of Greater Buffalo, more as a floating museum, visiting ports on Lakes Erie and Ontario. PLEASE NOTE: Tours of the boat are by appointment only, and must be pre-arranged.