Under the US Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, the Tacoma Fire Department received $750,000 to refit the city's fireboat Commencement. Art Anderson Associates teamed with BMT Nigel Gee of the United Kingdom to provide engineering design and consultation for the renovation and refit of the vessel.

The first phase of the project involved a comprehensive trade-off study that examined and balanced the needs and specifications of the Tacoma Fire Department and the budgetary constraints of the DHS grant. Art Anderson Associates examined the operational and financial practicality of proposed upgrades and modifications and will provide recommendations to the department.

Art Anderson Associates provided structural; propulsion; pumping, hydraulic and electrical system; and command and control modification engineering and design. Included with this design package was a detailed cost estimate and construction schedule. Art Anderson Associates also served as the Fire Department's representative in the bid and construction phase, negotiating between the owner and contractor, resolving engineering problems and maintaining weight control data.

The Commencement is one of two fireboats operating in the Tacoma Fire Department. The vessel was built in 1982 by Vosper Hovermarine as a multipurpose fiberglass surface effect ship (SES). The vessel has two 445bhp marine diesel engines powering two 19-inch propellers and a 285bhp marine diesel engine that provides power to six 24-inch aluminum alloy fans, which, when engaged, maintain an air cushion beneath the vessel. This cushion allows the Commencement to achieve speeds of up to 30 knots and maintain a stable ride in choppy seas. Since 1983, the vessel has provided fire suppression, search and rescue, evacuation, hazardous materials response and emergency medical service for the city. The Commencement's service area includes the Port of Tacoma, the sixth-largest container port in the United States.