MIRG Zeeland gets into action

On Thursday 19 January the Zeeland MIRG was alarmed: a fire in the engine room of the Argo, sailing on the Westerschelde river (NL), was discovered. The Argo is 67-meter long inland ship, at that time shipping stones.

After discovery of the fire, the captain informs the coast guard and the coast guard calls for MIRG assistance. Soon the Zeeland MIRG team members assemble in the holding area and are briefed by the Operational Commander. The teams pack the loading bags and get ready for transport. A COBRA system is also deployed. In the meantime the team stays informed via the coastguard and Westerschelde traffic support. When the team arrives, the ship has just moored to a jetty in the Zeeland Seaport area. The fire has already died out by itself. The team checks the ship to make sure all is safe and returns to their base. Back in Vlissingen the operation is evaluated: the procedures went well and the team showed MIRG Zeeland is ready for action.

MIRG EX is an international joint partnership. Safety Region Zeeland (NL), which brings together crisis management, fire fighters and medical assistance, is lead partner. The other partners in the project are: the Fire Brigades of Antwerp, Beveren and Ghent (BE). These brigades are linked to important international ports, that accommodate large chemical production plants. Being able to effectively fight fires on board ships is simply essential. In addition to the fire brigades, the Federal Organisation of Public Civil Assistance in Brugge, the Agency for Maritime and Coastal Services-Shipping Assistance Division and the Maatschappij van de Brugse Zeehaven nv (Zeebrugge Port Authority) are partners in the MIRG-EX project. The French Service départemental d’incendie et de secours de Pas-de-Calais and the English Kent Fire and Rescue Service complete the partnership. Both are confronted with heavy traffic on the Channel and the North Sea. An incident may be just around the corner, but this doesn’t mean it can be easily reached let alone be dealt with. Working with similar teams on both shores, reduces will help to reduce response time.