Emergency services vessels, very fortunately, are almost everywhere. I only need to look out my office window to see fireboats and rescue boats ambling past. Basically, wherever commercial or leisure vessels of any shape or size operate, emergency service vessels (ESVs) become a necessity.
Where I live, in a northern suburb of Sydney, Australia, where there is forest down to the high tide line, the ever-present threat of bushfires requires the presence of fireboats. Further, the vast number of locally based leisure boats, combined with the incompetence of some of their "captains", necessitates a flotilla of rescue boats. It seems that running out of fuel is by far the biggest problem they have to solve!
In some areas, such as the west coast of Norway, the fragmented highway system means that ambulance boats are the fastest means of transporting injured people to hospital. Who would have thought, for example, of a requirement to rescue survivors and recover the bodies of cruise ship passengers from an erupting volcano off New Zealand? So, the world needs vast numbers of search and rescue, fire, ambulance and lifeboats. They form a very important sector of the overall workboat market.
Not only are they important, but they have proved over the years to be a fertile source of innovation that has benefited many other sectors of the wider maritime industry. Speed, safety, stability, seaworthiness, durability, comfort and endurance are all important factors in the choice of emergency services vessels. Improvements in all such fields are readily and gratefully transferred to other vessel sectors.
Such improvements are facilitated by innovations in terms of design, construction, engines, propulsion systems and equipment. ESVs come in all shapes, sizes and materials. They come with a very wide range of equipment, both electronic and deck. Some, such as the US Coast Guard's "airboats", require very little water in which to float.
This week, Baird Maritime presents a wide selection of the latest in ESVs from all over the world that have been designed and built for a very wide range of roles. Those vessel reviews are supported by news and information about masses of new equipment that will facilitate their operations. We trust you find it all interesting and usefully inspiring.
"Proponents of autonomous tugs continue to bombard us with good and not-so-good reasons for getting rid of our crews."
– by Alan Loynd, former General Manager of the renowned Hong Kong Salvage and Towage company
"Preventing another accident and preventing future loss of life is something that everyone in the industry should make their number one priority, even if it causes embarrassment to vessel operators and flag states."
– by Hieronymus Bosch, anonymous commentator and Baird Maritime's insider in the world of offshore oil and gas operations
"An Indo-Pacific maritime law enforcement centre would reflect the position that MLE and maritime safety are common interests of all regional countries and necessary tasks, regardless of any discord or disagreement."
– by Anthony Bergin, senior fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute
Remember to come back every day to see the latest news, opinion and vessel reviews!
Any news or views about the global emergency services industries? Send it through to editor@baird.com.au ASAP (between now and May 21), so we can add it to this current edition of Emergency Services Week!
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