Union Officials Say: Baltimore Fire Boat Can Help Clear Trapped Ship – CBS Baltimore

BALTIMORE (WJZ) – The largest ship of the Baltimore City Fire Department can be used rescue a cargo ship has been stranded in the Chesapeake Bay since mid-March, according to the local firefighters’ union.

The Baltimore Fire Brigade IAFF Local 734 said in a social media post Sunday that the fireboat was capable of assisting operations to safely get the Hong Kong-flagged ship Ever Forward out of the bay.

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The cargo ship had not moved forward since it ran aground in the mud 24 feet deep. It was originally from the Port of Baltimore to Norfolk Virginia.

“#BCFDFireBoat, a regional response vessel, is part of the @portofbalt firefighting plan and will stand ready to assist if needed,” the union said on Twitter.

Have you heard about #EverForward that ran aground in the Chesapeake Bay? This is the official information released by Evergreen. The #BCFDFireBoata regional response vessel, which is part of the @portofbalt fire fighting plan and will be ready to assist if needed. pic.twitter.com/VQDdo56D8g

– Baltimore Fire Brigade IAFF Local 734 (@ BCFDL734) March 20, 2022

The Evergreen Transit Authority posted a special notice of the rescue efforts on its website on March 18.

It noted that Donjon Smit, the designated lifeguard, had conducted several underwater tests on Ever Forward.

The transport company says data collected during the inspection has been analyzed and an effective re-accumulation plan has been designed – but only after receiving approval from the authorities.

“Once enough mud is dug, the reclamation operation will begin using both the tug and the power of its main engine,” according to the statement.

The Baltimore City Fire Department’s fireboat has special equipment for rescue missions in the Chesapeake Bay, especially those requiring hazardous material response, Rich Langford told WJZ in a statement.

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The 87-foot fireboat — known as the John R. Frazier — is a designated “regional response vessel” that can support operations along the Chesapeake Bay, Langford said.

It is “the only marine unit on the Chesapeake Bay with dedicated staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year,” Langford said in a statement. “People often call for support to Baltimore and Anne Arundel Counties because their units are volunteers or personnel from fire trucks that have to be dispatched to the marinas to operate a boat.”

The potential for hazardous material leaks is what prompted the Maryland Department of Environment to monitor recovery efforts. After all, Ever Forward is carrying 2200 tons of fuel on board.

Officials on March 18 said the ship could be stuck in the bay until the end of the month Due to the complex task, rare is required to release it.

“You think of something 1100 feet long and about 160 feet wide. . . Geoffrey Donahue, director of the Maryland Department of Environment’s Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response.

The last time something like that happened was last year, a ship owned by the same company got stuck and blocked the Suez Canal in Egypt, and that disrupted billions of dollars every day. in global trade.

The Baltimore City Fire Department’s $6.9 million fire truck is stationed at Fort McHenry. It carries the combined equipment of fire trucks, cranes and ladder trucks, heavy-duty rescue vehicles, ambulance units, and the commander’s command unit, he said.

The next closest fire truck of its size is in Philadelphia, Langford said.

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“The biggest benefactor to the fireboat was the Port of Baltimore,” he said. “As part of the Port of Baltimore fire plan, the City of Baltimore Fire Department provides hazardous materials response and firefighting capabilities at sea.”