Suppression Systems News

An integrated Li-ion battery bank recently caught fire onboard an inspected passenger vessel when loosely crimped lugs overheated. While no one was injured and the vessel sustained minimal damage, this casualty highlights safety hazards unique to Li-ion batteries. All integrated (installations used for propulsion and electrical power) Li-ion battery systems on inspected vessels must undergo engineering plan review, be fitted with supporting safety systems, be tested and inspected at installation and periodically afterward…

The Coast Guard has identified a recurring safety concern involving fixed gas fire extinguishing systems on vessels. In multiple cases, safety pins were left in the service or maintenance position after system servicing by certified technicians, rendering the system incapable of activating during an emergency.Typically, there are two pins on the activation head of most fixed gas fire extinguishing systems.One is a safety pin, as mentioned above, which prevents inadvertent discharge during transpor tor maintenance and which must be removed for the system to properly function.

Terminales Marítimas de Vigo, S.L.U. (Termavi), a new Konecranes customer has ordered two hybrid Konecranes Rubber-Tired Gantry (RTG) cranes equipped with the complete range of Konecranes Smart Features. The order was booked in Q4 2024, and delivery is scheduled for Q4 2025.Termavi operates the main container terminal at Spain’s Port of Vigo on the country’s Atlantic coast and has implemented a number of initiatives to increase energy efficiency, reduce its carbon footprint, and protect biodiversity.

Maritime Firefighting by Captain Emil Muccin, USMS (ret.) and Matthew Bonvento is a comprehensive and modern guide for maritime professionals. It addresses the unique challenges of shipboard firefighting by integrating traditional methods with the latest advancements in equipment and procedures. This book effectively replaces outdated instruction aids by providing up-to-date, actionable knowledge. Using the IMO Model courses of Basic and Advanced Firefighting as a baseline, the authors take a deep dive into subjects that have not been explained in detail in previous books…

Aluminum boatbuilder BRIX Marine announced it has launched a new custom-built whale watching vessel for Allen Marine Tours, in Alaska.The new vessel, Raven, a 4818-HTC passenger catamaran, is the second vessel BRIX Marine has developed for Allen Marine, following the launch of the Eagle in September 2023.According to the builder, Raven is designed to enhance the whale-watching experience in Alaska’s waters, focusing on passenger comfort, safety, and sustainability. The vessel features a 48-foot hull, a 17’ 6” beam, and a lightship weight of approximately 31,000 pounds.

Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine (AAM) announced it has won a contract to build a new patrol boat for the Los Angeles Port Police.The 65- by 24-foot aluminum catamaran, designed by Teknicraft Design in Auckland, New Zealand, will boost the LA  Port Police's maritime law enforcement capabilities with enhanced operational efficiency and effectiveness and added operational flexibility.It will employ the latest hull design improvements from Teknicraft Design, providing…

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended Tuesday that engine-room fire detection and fixed fire extinguishing systems be installed in small passenger vessels previously exempted from U.S. Coast Guard regulations in Subchapter K.The NTSB issued the recommendations after investigating an engine room fire aboard the Spirit of Norfolk during a sightseeing cruise near Naval Station Norfolk, Viriginia, on June 7, 2022, with 108 people on board. The fire was too large for the crew to fight, and the passengers and crew were evacuated to other vessels.

The Philippine Coast Guard has declared “fire out” on the ferry Esperanza Star after attending then scene when a distress call was made at 0400 on June 18. The vessel was sailing in the waters of Panglao, Bohol, with 78 passengers and 59 crew onboard when the fire broke out at the aft of the vessel. Those onboard are reported to be safe and without injury after being taken to Bohol.The vessel is operated by Kho Shipping Lines, and the company issued a statement thanking the personnel of Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-Bohol…

Survitec has announced a new interactive safety management solution it hopes will substantially improve onboard safety.The Safety Management and Rapid Response Technology Interface (SMARR-TI) uses a graphical monitoring interface to integrate fire detection and fire suppression systems within one system.SMARR-TI, which Survitec developed in cooperation with Turkish shipyard Tersan and Norway’s Havila Voyages, is already in operation on a pair of 15,500gt passenger ships.SMARR-TI…

The US Coast Guard has published Marine Safety Information Bulletin 05-23, Fire Safety on Small Passenger Vessels and announced a concentrated inspection campaign.The Bulletin encourages owners and operators to do a self-assessment of the fire safety of their vessels and provides a checklist evaluating fire safety and emergency preparedness on board.MSIB 05-23 also announces that the concentrated inspection campaign, which will focus on fire safety aboard small passenger vessels…

Shipboard fire a constant threat: Bonhomme Richard tragedy an enduring lesson in fire prevention, responseJuly 12, 2020 was a lazy Sunday morning at Naval Base San Diego. USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), which had been commissioned only two years earlier, had recently made the base its new homeport and was docked as it underwent a maintenance availability.But, the silence of that morning was rocked by an explosion a few minutes before 9 a.m., changing everything for the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship.Below the decks…

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…

Engineers are assessing the condition of the Golden Ray wreck and salvage equipment after a fire ripped through the overturned and partially dismantled car carrier outside the Port of Brunswick, Ga. on Friday.The fire broke out on Friday afternoon aboard the Korean-owned Golden Ray, which has been aground on its side in the St. Simons Sound outside the nation's second largest car carrier port since it capsized shortly after departing the Port of Brunswick in September 2019.Firefighting…

The U.S. Coast Guard recently accepted the Birdon America's first upgraded 47-foot Motor Lifeboat (47 MLB) at the agency's National Motor Lifeboat School (NMLBS) in Ilwaco, Wash., completing the first major milestone in the MLB Service Life Extension Program (SLEP). The first article vessel will undergo a four-month operational assessment by members of NMLBS.The 47 MLB is the Coast Guard's standard lifeboat, designed to weather hurricane force winds and heavy seas, capable of surviving winds up to 60 knots, breaking surf up to 20 feet and impacts up to three Gs.

Kidde Fire Systems has launched a real-time, cloud-connected remote monitoring solution for gaseous fire suppression systems. The IntelliSite system allows users to monitor the status of a portfolio of fire control units in real time across multiple locations.“With 24/7 information access, the IntelliSite system enhances safety and service levels for system end-users and can help reduce service calls, maintenance and administration costs for our valued distribution channel partners…

Using nanotechnology to improve safety and efficiency.For as long as oil and petrochemicals have been in use by transportation, safely managing their highly flammable, toxic, and environmentally damaging vapors has been an ever present challenge. Even with increasing emphasis on safety procedures and better training, these invisible and dangerous vapors continue to result in the loss of life and property. But now, new nanotechnologies can provide safer and faster solutions that were not thought possible with conventional methods.

“The Daisy Mae is the closest you can get to Z-drive maneuverability, without the cost of Z-drive,” maintains her builder Joseph Rodriguez of Rodriguez Ship Building Inc. in Bayou LaBatre, Ala. Rodriguez has designed and built a lot of tugs over the years and doesn’t make this claim lightly. Further more he backs it up with his description of the beamy 82 by 32-foot tug that his yard delivered to Coeymans Marine Towing. This is one of the Carver group companies based at the Port of Coeymans 110 miles up the Columbia River from New York.

A primer on the way forward for alternative fuels for marine propulsion. By now, many of us have been passed by a garbage truck, taken a ride on an airport bus or hailed a taxi cab that is clearly labeled by their respective marketing departments that these vehicles are powered by clean burning natural gas. Even now in our own maritime industry, some trendy operators are looking to make the case for liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion systems, others are opting for hybrid-electric solutions, and some are even aiming for full electric configurations.

Anything but unconventional, Viega piping products and systems provide uncommon time savings and safer repairs, leading to a better bottom line. The maritime industry, over time, has been unusually resistant to change in many aspects of how it operates. Arguably, the ‘biggest’ advances on the water spanning a five decade period leading up to the beginning of the new millennium could be measured in terms of deadweight tonnage and/or the length of a particular class of hulls. Nowhere is that reality more evident than in the shipyard, and looking at what equipment and hardware is used to build and repair marine vessels – now and in the past. Marine piping systems are a perfect example.

W.S. Darley & Co. informs it has purchased the assets of Fireboy, Xintex and Aetna Engineering based in Grand Rapids, Mich., forming the new company Fireboy-Xintex, LLC. W.S. Darley & Co., headquartered in Itasca, Ill., has served the world’s fire and emergency services industry since 1908. The company has manufacturing, engineering and research and development operations are in Chippewa Falls, Wisc. and Janesville, Iowa. Founded in 1973, Fireboy is a developer of marine pre-engineered and custom engineered fire safety and suppression equipment.

Fireboy-Xintex said it will exhibit its latest technology developments at The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX), including newly released carbon monoxide alarm system as well as a new series of fire suppression systems. At IBEX, to be held October 4-6, 2016 at the Tampa Convention Center, Fireboy-Xintex is releasing its new CMD5-M Carbon Monoxide Alarm, which features an electrochemical sensor, compact design and a version that requires no external power to be fully functional.

Elcome International has established a new calibration lab and electronics component repair facility at its worldwide headquarters in Dubai. The calibration and electronics repair services are operated by Navicom Calibration LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Elcome. Navicom is providing a full range of calibration and certification services for critical portable instruments and fixed systems. The operation is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 by the Dubai Accreditation Center and the quality management systems are certified by DNV GL to ISO 9001:2008.

Kidde Fire Systems  launched a new control head monitor (CHM) for electric actuators and solenoid monitors for directional valves. The new CHM is fully compliant with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 2001-2012 Standard on Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems and is designed for simple installation on existing Kidde systems. According to the company, electric actuators are commonly used as activating devices for the release of a fire suppression agent in the event of a fire and the NFPA requires these devices to be in place and ready to activate.