Welcome Aboard The boat sits dockside outside Engine 20 firehouse at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Ohio Street in Buffalo, New York, where it has been berthed for almost 125 years. You can see her clearly from the walkway of the Michigan Avenue Bridge, and even at a casual glance it is obvious this boat is a fire engine. Her red and white paint scheme alone might be enough to define her, but the twin water cannons on her bow remove any doubt of the purpose of this boat. The wheelhouse proudly displays the seal of the Buffalo Fire Department, and her name in clean white lettering is clearly visible. This is the Edward M. Cotter. Built in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1900 and brought home to the city of Buffalo that same year, she was originally named the William S. Grattan. She joined a fleet of two other boats; The George R. Potter and the John M. Hutchinson . Both boats would eventually be taken out of service in the 1920s, and the Potter briefly returned to service i...