Following an explosive or flammable related incident industrial facilities can find themselves unable to apply a full fire response as they may have lost vital response assets in the incident, or find themselves incapable of maintaining vital resources due to the initial or lingering impact of the episode thereby impairing site operability.
Headquartered in the Gulf South, we have also played a key role with industry following major hurricanes to maintain incident command, offer logistical support, and in many cases to provide heavy equipment for both emergency response and business continuity operations such as sustaining colling water to the facility for process operations.
With onsite assets including large volume pumps, ThunderStorm® foam stores, miles of hose, a myriad of end of line devices, and of course experienced personnel to support multiple response operations Williams Fire & Hazard Control is prepared as your greatest ally in the event of a catastrophic emergency.
It is important to recognize the flammable characteristics inside a floating roof tank. Essentially two potential circumstances lie in wait ...
Under normal conditions, the vapor space within the tank is too rich to burn and will remain dormant with proper vapor exchange via the tank venting system.
However, it has been our experience that given the right conditions this rich vapor will lean out due to any given set of circumstances such as failure of tank venting systems, low-pressure exterior atmospheric conditions, or an abnormal breach in the tank structure.
Even in extreme situations, if ignition does occur at the vents the interior space of the tank MAY remain too rich to burn and a surface fire within the tank will be avoided.
HOWEVER, several incidents Williams Fire & Hazard Control has reponded to domestically and internationally have been due to an adequate open-air exchange leaning out the interior vapor space whereby a fire source at the vent flashes back insde the tank resulting in a devastating combustion of the residual gases.
Our experience is that an internal foam application resulting in a rich foam blanket will reduce vapor yield within the tank, and will inhibit any potential surface fire resulting from secondary ignition sources as outlined above.
MOST NOTABLE: Our Dual-Agent chamber - a COMPLIANCE+ product - follows the foam application with an abundant dry-chemical surge that overwhelms any residual vapor inside the tank, extinguishes the fire at the vents, and prohibits a potential explosve flashback event.
A new brochure offers a snapshot of response practices and the philosophies that drive equipment design and engineering at Williams Fier & Hazard Control ... Download the brochure for insights into Williams Fire & Hazard Control's Response and Manufacturing mission. Click Here to Download Brochure
Gunvor Maersk 1980 - Amazon River - Fire; Marine Tanker Extinguished: 3M ATC.
M/V Texaco North Dakota September 1980 - Gulf of Mexico - Fire; Marine Tanker Extinguished: 3M ATC.
M/V Aikaterini February 1981 - Atlanta Ocean - Fire; Marine Tanker Extinguished: 3M ATC.
M/V Monticello Victory June 1981 - Gulf of Mexico - Explosion; Safed Cargo Tanks.
M/V Baltic Neptune October 1981 - Los Angeles Anchorage - Coal Carrier, Extinguished and Safed 52,000 Tons of Coal. Sailed with Vessel to Taiwan. 3M ATC and Proprietary Methodology.
Hines Barge December 1981 - Ohio River - Fire; Extinguished 1,000,000 Gallons of Gasoline: 3M ATC.
M/V Itapuca October 1982 - Vera Cruz, Mexico - Fire; Marine Tanker Extinguished. 3M ATC
M/V Spain Maru January 1983 - Long Beach Anchorage - Fire; Spontaneous Combustion of Fish Meal, Cargo Extinguished and Safed. Sailed with Vessel to Japan. 3M ATC and Proprietary Methodology.
M/V Nicor Rebel April 1984 - Gulf of Mexico - Fire; Extinguished Engine Room Fire: 3M ATC.
M/V Panamex Gemini June 1984 - Long Beach Anchorage - Fire; Spontaneous Heating of 50,000 Tons of Coal, Extinguished and Safed, Sailed with Vessel to Taiwan. 3M ATC and Proprietary Methodology.
M/V Panamex World June 1984 - Long Beach Anchorage - Fire; Spontaneous Heating of 50,000 Tons of Coal, Extinguished and Safed, Sailed with Vessel to Taiwan. 3M ATC and Proprietary Methodology.
M/V Alvenus July 1984 - Gulf of Mexico - Provided Fire Protection, Consultation and Technical Assistance to Offload Cargo and Safe Tanks.
M/V Puerto Rican October 1984 - San Francisco, California - Safed Cargo Tanks.
M/V Panamex Star December 1984 - Long Beach Anchorage - Fire; Spontaneous Heating of 52,000 Tons of Coal, Extinguished and Safed, Sailed with Vessel From Boston through the Panama Canal to Taiwan. 3M ATC and Proprietary Methodology.
M/V Coral Ace August 1985 - Dutch Harbor, Alaska - Fire; Extinguished Roll-on, Roll-off Car Carrier Loaded with 7000 Automobiles: 3M ATC.
Mega Borg July 1990 - Gulf of Mexico - Safed Engine Room and Pump Room for Entry by Cargo Underwriters: 3M ATC.
T/S Jupiter October 1990 - Bay City, Michigan - Fire; Extinguished Fully Involved Tanker Loaded with Gasoline, Safed Vessel and Provided Fire Protection During Salvage Operation: 3M ATC.
The Zeus December 1990 - Off the Coast of Boston, Massachusetts - Fire; Extinguished Engine Room Fire on the Jack-Up Rig: 3M ATC
Sotrudnichestivo October 1992 - Dutch Harbor, Alaska - Fire; Russian Ship Extinguished: 3M ATC.
Ocean 255 August 1993 - St. Petersburg, Florida - Fire; Safed Vessel after Extinguishment and Provided Fire Protection During Salvage Operation: 3M ATC.
American President Lines May 1994 - Pusan, Korea - Fire; Extinguished Fires in Containers On-Board the Container Carrier after a Collision.
M/V Forum Chemist July 1994 - Gulf of Mexico - Fire; Extinguished Engine Room Fire 60 Miles off the Coast of Venice, Louisiana: 3M ATC.
M/T Ariel October 1996 - Statton Island Anchorage - Safing the pump room after a gasoline spill: 3M ATC.
M/T Jo Beth November 1996 - Rosedale, Missippi - Provided Technical Assistance on engine room fire on a Tug grounded along the Mississippi River.
M/V Manzur February 1998 - Southwest Pass, Gulf of Mexico - Technical Assistance and Equipment supply on container vessel that had sustained a fire for safe passage into Port of Mobile.
M/V Violetta December 1998 - Galveston, TX - Extinguished Engine Room Fire, Anchorage off the coast of Galveston/Safed Vessel. 3M ATC.
M/V New Carissa, U.S. Navy/U.S. Coast Guard February 1999 - Coos Bay, Oregon - 638’ vessel Technical Assistance for cargo burn off, 400,000 gallons of #6 Oil & 49,000 gallons of Diesel Fuel, while minimizing the environmental impact.
M/V Katie P American Commercial Barge lines -December 15, 1999 - Port Arthur, Texas -Tug Boat fire - 3M AFFF/ATC
CTC Vision- O’Bryan Oil & Pollution Corp May 20, 2001 - Out of Venice, Louisiana - Extinguished Fire in Cargo Holds of Wood Carrier, 3M AFFF/ATC and 3M SFFF Class A Foam .
Kirby Marine July 19 - 24, 2001 - New Iberia, Louisiana - Provide Equipment and Personnel for Safing Operation of Propylene Barge after Collision with a Bridge.
Kirby Marine July 27, 2001 - Bollinger Ship Yard, Lake Charles, Louisiana - Provide Equipment and Personnel for Safing Operation of Propylene Barge after The First Patch starting Leaking.
Wild Well Control November 6 – 8, 2003 – Texas City, TX – Responded to Sunken Barge leaking sulfuric acid. Provided fire and cooling protection during hot tap procedures.
MGM Towing, “Marsha Gayle” March 20, 2004 – Baytown, TX – Work Over and Safe Tug, ThunderStorm™ 1 X 3.
Crowley Marine, M/V BlueRidge September 1998 - New York - Technical Assistance, Lightering Operation, 16,000 barrels of Neat MTBE.
Kirby Marine February 25, 2000 - Simms Port, Louisiana - 4 Barges involved in a collision which resulted in Fire on 2 Large Barges, Extinguished using 3M ATC™ and Hydro-Chem Technology with PKW™
Crowley Marine Transportation Corp.
May 23, 2006 – Staten Island, NY – Provide technical assistance and survey engine room form engine room fire.