BALTIMORE (WJZ) – The Baltimore City Fire Department’s largest boat could be used to rescue a cargo ship that has been held in Chesapeake Bay since mid-March, according to the local fire department.
The Baltimore Firefighters IAFF Local 734 said in a social media post on Sunday that the fireboat has the capability to help with operations to safely clear the Hong Kong flagpole Ever Forward from the bay.
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The cargo ship did not move any further because it ran 24 meters deep into the mud. It was in the beginning from the port of Baltimore to Norfolk Virginia.
“The #BCFDFireBoat, a regional response vessel, is part of the @portofbalt fire plan and will be ready to help if needed,” the union said on Twitter.
Have you heard about the #EverForward that’s aground in the Chesapeake Bay? Here is the official release of Evergreen. The #BCFDFireBoata regional response ship, is part of the @portofbalt Fire plan and will be ready to help if needed. pic.twitter.com/VQDdo56D8g
– Baltimore Firefighters IAFF Local 734 (@ BCFDL734) March 20, 2022
The Evergreen Shipping Agency issued a special announcement on March 18 about rescue efforts on its website.
It is noted that Donjon Smit, the appointed savior, made some underwater inspections of Ever Forward.
The data collected during the inspections were analyzed and an effective refloating plan was drawn up – but only after obtaining the approval of the authorities, the shipping company said.
“Once enough mud has been excavated, the refloating operation will begin to use both the dinghies and the power of their 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 that require a hazardous material response, Rich Langford WJZ said in a statement.
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The 87-foot-long fireboat – known as the John R. Frazier – is a designated “regional response vessel” that can assist with operations along the Chesapeake Bay, Langford said.
It is “the only naval unit on the Chesapeake Bay with dedicated personnel 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year,” Langford said in a statement. “It is often called upon to help Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties because their units are voluntary or firefighters must be sent to the marina to customize a boat.”
The potential for a hazardous material leak is what prompted the Maryland Department of the Environment to monitor recovery efforts. After all, the Ever Forward carries 2,200 tons of fuel on board.
Officials said on March 18 that the ship could be stuck in the bay until the end of the month because of the rare, complex mission required to deliver them.
“You’re thinking of something that’s 1100 feet long and about 160 feet wide… It’s just massive,” said Geoffrey Donahue, director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response for the Maryland Department of the Environment.
The last time something like this happened, last year a ship owned by the same company was captured and blocked in the Suez Canal in Egypt, and that disrupted billions of dollars a day in world trade.
The Baltimore City Fire Department’s $ 6.9 million fireboat is stationed at Fort McHenry. It carries the combined equipment of a fire engine, a hook and ladder truck, a heavy rescue truck, a medical unit, and a chief command unit, he said.
The next nearest fireboat to its size is in Philadelphia, Langford said.
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“The biggest benefit to the fireboat is the port of Baltimore,” he said. “As part of the Port of Baltimore’s Fire Protection Plan, the Baltimore City Fire Department offers marine fire fighting and hazardous material response capabilities.”
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