“FLORIAN” Port Fire Brigade to take care of safety in the Port of Gdańsk

Due to the strategic importance of the Port of Gdańsk for the Polish economy, as well as the fact that over a hundred companies operate in the port, the key task of the management is to ensure the highest safety standards. This will allow immediate rescue action to be taken should the need arise. According to the Port of Gdańsk Authority’s press release, the development of port infrastructure and the ever-increasing number of cargo reloadings requires the port management to maintain adequate safety levels in the managed areas and bodies of water. The Port of Gdańsk Authority is obliged to provide fire protection from the water side of managed objects and areas as well as ships and other floating objects located in the waters of the port, roadstead or anchorage of the port.

“Dangerous goods account for almost 50% of the loading structure in the Port of Gdańsk. These include crude oil, petrol, oils, coal, coke, acids, soda lye, asphalt and ammonium nitrate. The Port’s share in the handling of liquid fuels is approximately 87 percent on a national scale. ZMPG S.A. is obliged to provide fire protection in all weather conditions in the basins of the Port of Gdańsk. Hence the need to have the most modern vessels of international fire class”, explains Janusz Sokołowski, Director of the Port Security Department of ZMPG S.A.

So far, fire protection from the water side has been carried out using vessels from the 1970s, which could only be used in certain weather conditions and thus were not able to provide adequate protection.

Last year, the port authority announced a tender for water-side fire protection. The tender was won by “FLORIAN” Port Fire Brigade, which will take over responsibility for fire and spill protection in the Port of Gdańsk from 1 July. Three FF1 tug and fire fighting vessels (Ajax Akul and Tytan) owned by “WUŻ” Port and Maritime Services Ltd Sp. z o.o. will be used to protect the Port. They have been equipped with spill containment dams to limit spillages of petroleum substances, expandi (400 m) and flexi (300 m) seagoing dams. Two units will be stationed in the Outer Port and one unit in the Inner Port. The units are equipped with mechanical spill collection and neutralisation equipment. There will be a full crew of sailors and firefighters on board of each unit, ready to take immediate action, enabling the unit to be fully manoeuvrable 24/7.

“I have been involved with “FLORIAN” Port Fire Brigade since its inception. I am proud that the company with port DNA has been operating continuously for over 30 years. As one of the few fire companies in the world, we are actively involved in fire and environmental protection of the Port and port companies (especially those handling fuels, hazardous materials, containers). We are happy to contribute to the efficient and safe functioning of the Port of Gdańsk”, says Zdzisław Olechnowicz, Director of the Board of “FLORIAN” Port Fire Brigade.

“FLORIAN” Port Fire Brigade was established in 1991 on the basis of the Port Fire Brigade in Gdańsk, established in 1946. The services provided by “FLORIAN” Port Fire Brigade are aimed at preventive actions, such as fire protection (fire vessel assistance) during the handling of hazardous materials and any fire hazardous work. Florian firefighters have performed 28,000 fire assists and over 3,000 fire extinguishing actions.