Marine Firefighting Services News

Dutch dredging and marine services giant Boskalis has acquired the U.S.-based maritime emergency response specialist Ardent Americas.Ardent, created by the 2015 merger of salvage divisions of Svitzer and Crowley, specializes in emergency preparedness and response, wreck removals, subsea services and decommissioning for the offshore oil and gas industry. Ardent Americas was a subsidiary of Ardent Global Marine Services, headquartered in IJmuiden, the Netherlands.Boskalis has also…

It has been ten years since the U.S. Salvage and Marine Firefighting Regulations were published: Is it time for a reassessment of the U.S. marine salvage posture?In 1982, the National Research Council’s Committee on the National Salvage Posture prepared a study entitled, “Marine Salvage in the United States.” The goal of the report was “to assess the present national posture for coping with ship rescue salvage and towing situations for time-critical offshore salvage in general.”…

Salvage and marine firefighting are complex response efforts often undertaken in adverse weather and sea conditions. While no two oil spill responses are the same, the diversity of variation between any two oil spill responses is not near as great as the diversity of any two salvage and marine firefighting responses. As a result, salvage and marine firefighting response providers must plan for and anticipate a wide range of variation in what will be required to address their portion of a marine casualty. The U.S.

ASA Sets the Record Straight. The U.S. salvage industry came under attack at a recent Congressional hearing on May 3 by a special commercial interest that is promoting its own agenda. The American Salvage Association (ASA) intends to set the record straight. At the hearing, the attacking group made false allegations that the Salvage and Marine Firefighting (SMFF) resource providers are not willing or contractually obligated to respond and lack the resources to meet regulated response requirements. At the same hearing, this group also criticized the U.S.

Lamor recently commissioned itsLSC 4C Side Collecting Oil Skimming System for Guam’s Oil Spill Response Operations Company (OSROCO) and T&T Marine Salvage (T&T) making it the largest skimming system in the region. OSROCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cabras Marine, and T&T operate the skimming system as well as an array of small crafts, and other specialized response equipment. OSROCO, Cabras and T&T employees are trained and certified in accordance with the U.S. Federal Government’s oil spill response and safety standards.

Current issues in marine salvage: the ISU perspective. There have undoubtedly been great improvements in ship and operational safety in the past decades. SOLAS, the international Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, has been in force for more than 30 years and has played a large part reducing the incidence of marine casualty. But accidents and incidents cannot be entirely eradicated and the potential for marine casualty – and pollution – remains present in all territories.

Industrial Emergency Services, LLC Forms an alliance with SVITZER Salvage to provide marine firefighting services in the Americas. Industrial Emergency Services, and SVITZER Salvage Americas announce that they have entered into an alliance to provide marine firefighting services as part of the continued SVITZER Salvage effort to expand its capabilities throughout North and South America. The contract includes efforts by both companies to implement a dedicated plan for the US / OPA 90 Salvage and Marine Fire Fighting requirements…

U.S.- based RESOLVE Marine Group and Shanghai- based Shanghai Shengmin Shipping Service Co., Ltd. Shanghai, China,   April 29, 2011 – Shanghai Shengmin Shipping Service Co., Ltd. and  U.S.–based RESOLVE Marine Group, Inc. have announced the formation of an Oil Spill Response Organization joint venture, the Shanghai Resolve-Shengmin OSRO Company (SRSOC). SRSOC will provide Class 1 oil spill response organization services, enabling tank vessels and other ships calling at Chinese…

Resolve Marine Group and T&T Bisso have announced their coalition for Marine Firefighting services in U.S. waters. This agreement combines both companies’ extensive firefighting infrastructure to produce overlapping coverage and higher volume firefighting capacity throughout the U.S. This coalition was crafted specifically to help tank vessel operators fully comply with the new Oil Pollution Act of 1990 regulations that will be effective on February 22, 2011. The regulations require that all tanker and tank barge owners operating in U.S.

The directors of Marine Response Alliance LLC (MRA or Alliance) announced that McAllister Towing and Transportation Co., Inc. (McAllister) has joined the MRA as a full and equal member. McAllister is now united with the other MRA member companies—Crowley Marine Services, Inc. (Crowley), Marine Pollution Control Corporation (MPC), Titan Maritime LLC (Titan) and Marine Hazard Response (MHR)  (a joint venture of Wild Well Control, Inc. and Williams Fire and Hazard Control, Inc.) to provide OPA-90 Salvage and Marine Firefighting services to the maritime community.

T&T Bisso, provider of emergency response, salvage and marine firefighting services, is announced the appointment of Mauricio Garrido as president. In his new position, Garrido will undertake the direct oversight of T&T Bisso’s worldwide business activities as well as the hands-on oversight of the company’s global offices. Garrido joined T&T Bisso in 2008 as general manager of the Americas and Europe. He also serves as vice president of Salvage and Emergency Response and as director of Latin American Business Development for Bisso Marine.

T&T Bisso, provider of vessel emergency response, salvage and marine firefighting services, announced an exclusive cooperative services agreement with Foss Maritime Company. Foss Maritime, based in Seattle, offers maritime services and project management to customers across the Pacific Rim, Europe, South America and around the globe. “Foss’s extensive network of sister companies and partners positioned in North America and around the world will compliment T&T Bisso’s global strategies in providing professional, safe and results-oriented services conducted on or around the water,” said Tim Dickensheets, director of vessel response services for T&T Bisso.

Marine Response Alliance, LLC (MRA) has received approval from the U.S. Coast Guard of its Salvage and Marine Firefighting Contract and Funding Agreement. The Coast Guard’s all-inclusive acceptance of the contract means that MRA has the ability fully contract with plan holders needing salvage and marine firefighting services required under the OPA-90 sanctioned Salvage and Marine Firefighting Final Rule, which takes effect on February 22, 2011. MRA is a U.S. based emergency response partnership comprised of Crowley Marine Services, Marine Pollution Control, TITAN Salvage, and Marine Hazard Response (a joint venture of Wild Well Control and Williams Fire & Hazard Control).

On New Year’s Eve, 2008, the US Coast Guard issued its long-awaited regulations regarding salvage and marine firefighting. While there are various points of criticism, overall the rulemaking is an excellent advance over the current situation of preparing in advance for marine casualties that implicate salvage and firefighting. The owners or operators of a tank vessel that carries or is designed to carry Group I-IV oils as cargo in bulk has until July 1, 2010 to revise its vessel response plan (VRP) and submit it to the Coast Guard for consideration and approval.