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Firefighting Equipment News

26 Jan 2024

Tanker Ablaze After Being Struck by Houthis in the Red Sea

© mino21, peangdao / Adobe Stock

Yemen's Houthi rebels on Friday stepped up attacks on vessels transiting the Red Sea, including a hit on a fuel tanker operated on behalf of trading firm Trafigura that sparked a fire.Trafigura said that the fuel tanker Marlin Luanda, which was operating on its behalf, was struck by a missile as it transited the Red Sea.Firefighting equipment on board is being deployed to suppress and control the fire caused in one cargo tank on the starboard side, the company said in an emailed statement."We remain in contact with the vessel and are monitoring the situation carefully…

19 Dec 2023

New Tugs Delivered to Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority

(Photo: Damen Shipyards)

Two next-generation Damen ASD Tugs 2813 have been delivered to the Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority (GPHA).Commissioned during a ceremony on December 14, the newbuilds Capt. Edward A. A. Awuviri and Nestor Percy Galley—named after two former Director Generals—were built at Damen Shipyards’ dedicated tug building facility Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam.The vessels each deliver 83 tonnes bollard pull ahead and up to 77 tonnes astern, making them capable of maneuvering the range of large vessels that use the Ghanaian ports of Takoradi and Tema…

26 Oct 2023

Metal Shark Building Fireboats for Anne Arundel County FD

(Image: Metal Shark)

Louisiana-based boat builder Metal Shark is building two welded-aluminum fireboats for Anne Arundel County Fire Department in Maryland.The new 50 Defiant NXT monohull pilothouse fireboats were designed by Metal Shark’s in-house engineering team and are now under construction at the company’s Franklin, La. shipyard. The newbuilds were ordered to replace the department's 20-year-old main fireboat, Lady Anne, delivered from MetalCraft Marine in 2023. The new vessels will offer faster speeds enabling shorter response times…

12 Apr 2023

Singapore Orders Two More Fire and Rescue Vessels

(Photo: BMT)

Singapore Civil Defense Force (SCDF) have yet again selected BMT and Singapore’s homegrown shipbuilder Penguin Shipyard International to design and build the next generation of fire and rescue boats called “MFV-R”. The vessels will offer emergency response capabilities, including extensive search and rescue, and firefighting capabilities.The two new 38-meter MFV-R monohull aluminum vessels, scheduled for delivery from the summer of 2025, feature an extended hull to hold a larger load…

21 Mar 2022

ABS Updates RoRo Vessel Rules in Response to Fires

The Felicity Ace (not ABS-classed) is among a number of RoRo ships that suffered onboard fires in recent years. (Photo: Portuguese Navy)

Classification society ABS announced it has updated its rules addressing electric vehicles on board RoRo vessels in response to "industry concerns" over a number of recent ship fires.U.S.-based ABS said the new requirements introduced within its marine vessel rules apply to supplemental fire detection, alarms and firefighting equipment as well as provisions associated with vehicle recharging. They take effect for newbuild vessels on July 1, 2022.The classification organization…

23 Feb 2022

Tug Boats Spray Water on Blazing Ship Carrying Luxury Cars near Azores

©Portuguese Navy

Heavy tug boats on Tuesday sprayed water on a burning ship carrying thousands of Porsches and Bentleys adrift off the coast of Portugal's Azores islands, the ship's manager said in a statement.The Felicity Ace, carrying around 4,000 vehicles including Porsches, Audis, and Bentleys, some with lithium-ion batteries, caught fire on Wednesday last week.The 22 crew members on board were evacuated the same day. Ship manager Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd (MOL) said in a statement the vessel was still on fire but stable, and that no oil leak had been reported so far.

25 Jan 2022

Monaco Fire/Rescue Boat Features Smartgyro Stabilization

(Image: High Tech Marine)

Italian boat builder High Tech Marine (HTM) is constructing a new firefighting and rescue patrol boat for operation in the harbor waters and along the Monaco coastline.Commissioned by the Monaco Government, the vessel will be delivered by September 2022 and enter service immediately, enabling the region’s Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers to provide firefighting and rescue services in the Principality's ports and along a coastal zone which may include the surrounding French territorial…

28 Dec 2021

USCG Announces New Fire Safety Rules for Passenger Vessels

The 75-foot recreational diving vessel Conception was anchored in Platts Harbor off Santa Cruz Island when it caught fire in the early morning of Sept. 2, 2019. All 33 passengers and one of six crewmembers died of smoke inhalation after they were trapped in the berthing area while a fire raged on the deck above. Both exits from the berthing area led to the fire and smoke-filled enclosed area above. (Photo: Ventura County Fire Department)

The U.S. Coast Guard announced in the Federal Register that it is issuing an interim rule as the first step to implementing the statutorily mandated requirements for fire safety on certain covered small passenger vessels. This statutory mandate is in response to the fire and loss of life on the dive boat Conception off the coast of California on September 2, 2019. This interim rule adds additional fire safety requirements for small passenger vessels, including fire detection and suppression systems…

03 Nov 2021

Electric Firefighting Vessels Delivered in Hamburg

(Photo: Damen Shipyards Group)

The Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards Group said it handed over twin fireboats to Flotte Hamburg, a subsidiary of the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) tasked with implementing low-emission shipping in the city.With 315 kWh of battery capacity, the state-of-the-art, plug-in hybrid vessels are capable of extended, fully-electric, emissions-free operations in and around the Port of Hamburg. Prag will be operated by Hamburg’s fire service while Dresden will support the HPA, the fire service and other third parties.The vessels, classed as Damen Fire-Fighting Vessels 3508, are completely new designs.

16 Jun 2021

Multimission Vessels: Interest Across All Sectors

Damen’s “Swiss army knife” Multicats are popular in Europe. Damen has recently contracted for the first of these vessels to be built in the U.S. (Photo: Damen)

The development and construction of multimission vessels (MMVs) remains active across the maritime market.The ability to perform multiple tasks when those different duties are needed is central to an MMV’s value. Multimission capabilities mean that an expensive asset doesn’t sit idle when it isn’t being used for a singular purpose, such as firefighting. This is particularly important for public sector officials who have to weigh costs and benefits across a wide range of demands…

26 Jan 2021

Tug Malta Takes Delivery of New Tug from Damen

(Photo: Damen)

Maltese tug operator Tug Malta has taken delivery of Senglea, a new Damen RSD Tug 2513 to be used for maneuvering container vessels in and out of the harbor.Handed over on January 15, the newbuild joins a fleet that already has a number of Damen ASD tugs, but is the first RSD tug to operate in the region.Tug Malta, owned by Rimorchiatori Mediterranei Spa, ordered the vessel in November 2019. Built at Damen’s Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam, she has a bollard pull of 80 tonnes. The design features Damen’s Twin Fin skeg to enhance directional stability and provide higher indirect towing force.

14 Jan 2021

Converted Patrol Boat Becomes a Research Vessel for USM

(Photo: Silver Ships)

A refurbished 48-foot workboat has been delivered to The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) for its second life as a research vessel.The vessel, an Endeavor 45 cabin patrol vessel originally built by Silver Ships in 2008 for the State of Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (DMR), returned to the Theodore, Ala. shipyard for the transformation. The vessel is now capable of supporting the USM School of Ocean Science and Engineering’s deep ocean underwater surveys using various uncrewed underwater vehicle systems.

23 Oct 2020

Australian Tug Owner Fined for 'Violent Threats' and 'Vile Behavior'

The owner of an unseaworthy tug boat was convicted of hindering an Australian maritime safety official in Cairns Magistrate Court on October 13.Anthony Roy Wolfe was found guilty, with a conviction recorded on his criminal record for the next 10 years and fined $750 for hindering an Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) inspector who detained Wolfe's ex-navy tug, the Wallaroo.At the time, Wolfe intended on using Wallaroo to transport shipping containers from Cairns to Papua New Guinea under a commercial arrangement, but an inspection in Brisbane revealed serious deficiencies with watertight hatches, defunct firefighting equipment and no life raft on the vessel…

13 Oct 2020

New Era in the Middle East: Cargo Ship from Dubai Arrives in Haifa

The ship-to-shore crane paused above the cargo ship just arrived from Dubai, then set its load down on the pier in Israel.One after another, eight containers filled with electronics, cleaning supplies, iron, and firefighting equipment were unloaded off the MSC Paris, one of the first cargo ships to make the voyage between the United Arab Emirates and Israel.Just a few months ago, such a journey from Dubai's Jebel Ali port to the northern Israeli port city of Haifa would have been unthinkable.The countries announced a normalization deal in August which laid the ground for a potentially profitable new trade route.The diplomatic breakthrough stemmed from a strategic realignment of Middle East nations…

16 Jul 2020

Firefighters Evacuated from Listing USS Bonhomme Richard

A helicopter combats a fire aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6). (U.S. Navy photo by Christina Ross)

The U.S. Navy said it has cleared the burning USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and its adjacent San Diego pier of all personnel due to a shift in the vessel's list. The warship has been ablaze since Sunday morning."Out of an abundance of caution the pier and ship were cleared of personnel due to an initial shift in the ship’s list. Personnel are now pier side. We will continue to monitor as the ship settles." the Navy said in a statement at 2:30 a.m. Thursday.The fire, accompanied by at least one large explosion…

06 Jul 2020

Dubai Launches Agency to Regulate Dhow Sector

© robepco / Adobe Stock

The Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC), in cooperation with Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), have launched the Marine Agency to oversee wooden dhow ships and regulate all their activities while they’re in Dubai waters. The agency is an organizational unit managed by PCFC and works according to regulations in coordination with the competent government authorities. The move is part of PCFC’s constant efforts to strengthen Dubai’s trade environment and maintain…

03 Mar 2020

Sub M Progress – an Update

Credit: Paul C. Lamarre III

Subchapter M, the United States regulatory code dealing with towing vessels and requirements for towing vessel safety, has officially been in place since July 20, 2016, when the U.S. Coast Guard finalized Sub M rulemaking.Since the rules were finalized there have been a couple of important hammer dates. In spring and summer 2018 the first certificates of inspection (COI) were issued. COIs are central within the Sub M program. A vessel needs a COI to legally operate. (All vessels were required to comply with Sub M by July 20, 2018.

11 Feb 2020

Vessel Inspections: It's All About Safety

USCG marine inspectors at Marine Safety Unit Portland inspect a tug in Portland, Ore. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Paige Hause)

With the announcements that New York Waterway, a ferry operator running 32 boats around New York and New Jersey waters, had been largely shut down by the U.S. Coast Guard just prior to Thanksgiving, 2019, the reactions ranged from surprise to outright shock. There was also a great deal of grumbling, as commuters, the major customer group, endured delays on New York Waterway’s extensive network across the Hudson River, bringing New Jersey commuters into New York’s business districts.So, what happened?

16 Dec 2019

VIKING's HydroPen System for V.Ships

Photo: VIKING

VIKING has secured a contract with V.Ship Hamburg to protect over 40 container ships with the HydroPen System.The alarming rise in the number of container fires has brought calls for urgent action from the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI), with stakeholders urged to encourage IMO to strengthen fire protection and review firefighting equipment onboard existing ships. Fighting a fire high up in the stack from the deck is often ineffective, with containers dowsed on the outside while materials inside continue to burn.

11 Dec 2019

VIKING Acquires Drew Marine's FSR Division

Photo courtesy of VIKING

VIKING has acquired Drew Marine’s Fire Safety and Rescue (FSR) division.VIKING increases its global volume, reach and technical competencies for marine firefighting equipment services (MFS).At the moment, Drew Marine FSR provides services in more than 150 ports across 45 countries. The division offers a complete range of FSR services, specializing in solutions for fixed-firefighting foam, fixed-extinguishing and dry-powder systems – along with calibration solutions for gas detection, medical oxygen, and dry-docking services.

18 Oct 2019

SAFE Recently Delivered 19th Boat to FDNY Fleet

Photo: SAFE Boats International

SAFE Boats International (SAFE), delivered boats 17, 18 and 19 to the marine division of the New York Fire Department during the month of August. Since 2006 SAFE has successfully built and delivered a variety of boats to FDNY ranging in size from a 27’ full cabin vessel with firefighting equipment all the way up to the 64’ “Bravest” with three separate fire pump stations that went into service in 2011.The three latest additions to the FDNY fleet are 33’ full cabin boats. They are the 11th, 12th and 13th boats of that size and configuration.

18 Oct 2019

Boxship Fires: Time for Action, says IUMI

Helle Hammer, IUMI Policy Forum Chair

This year has already seen an alarming number of container ship fires including Yantian Express, APL Vancouver, Grande America, E.R. Kobe and KMTC Hong Kong.The escalation is of growing concern to IUMI (International Union of Marine Insurance) who used a recent forum to call for an urgent improvement to onboard firefighting systems.At a conference in Arendal, Norway, organised by marine insurer and P&I Club, Gard, and attended by IMO, flag states, shipowners, salvors, class, and insurers…

24 Jun 2019

OP/ED: A Reassessment of the U.S. Marine Salvage Posture

Jim Elliott is President of the American Salvage Association and Chief Operating Officer of the Teichman Group of Companies.

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.”…