Each year, FPAAC holds an event jointly with the MFSA Board of Directors and staff to highlight and review the programs affecting FPAAC, featuring a variety of subject matter experts who can speak on the topics du jour pertaining to shipboard fire response. With the recent tragedy in Baltimore, there was no shortage of conversation. This year’s Annual Summit was held Tuesday, April 2nd, once again at the Cowlitz County Event Center in Longview, WA. Mason Sullivan, FPAAC Program Manager, welcomed guests and thanked them for being there.
Kicking off the day, Don Doyle, FPAAC Training Coordinator, spearheaded the initial presentation and provided an overview of FPAAC’s 2023 training activities. Following this, he took a deeper dive into the 2Q 2023 Technician Level Training which saw thirty FPAAC Technicians train alongside Seattle Fire and the United States Coast Guard at USCG Base Seattle in June 2023.
Up second was Dan Jordan, a highly experienced mariner and current Administrator of the Columbia River Bar Pilots. Capt. Jordan started off by touching on the recent tragedy in Baltimore, discussing the ships that are brought in by the Bar Pilots and how they safely navigate beneath the Astoria-Megler Bridge. He then discussed general pilotage on the river, including the different groups of pilots, who regulates them, how they train, and finished by sharing recent updates to the Lower Columbia Region Harbor Safety Plan.
Our third speaker, Kyle Higgins, holds positions as a Battalion Chief at Kirkland Fire in Washington State and as a Senior Fire Officer with Resolve Marine Group. Kyle delivered an insightful presentation on salvage and marine firefighting, covering history, regulations, resources, and hazards by also including personal anecdotes from his involvement in significant shipboard fire responses.
Presenting next was LTJG Mark Hayton, an Apprentice Marine Inspector at Sector Columbia River who provided an extremely informative and thoroughly researched presentation on lithium-ion batteries, associated risks, current and future regulations, and recent case studies involving vessel fires caused by a lithium-ion power source.
Concluding our lineup was Spence Byrum, CEO and co-founder of HRS Consulting, Inc. Spence is a retired Coast Guard pilot and safety officer who boasts an extremely diverse background centered on safety. Alongside now MFSA Executive Director Curtis Cannizzaro, he oversaw the last updates to the FPAAC Shipboard Fire Operations Guide (SFOG) and Lower Columbia Maritime Safety Plan and spoke about effective risk management as it pertains to the region.
Before concluding, Mason Sullivan requested Clatskanie Fire Chief Steve Sharek, a longstanding FPAAC Chair and Vice-Chair, to join him at the front of the group for a special acknowledgment, recognizing his years of service and unwavering support for the FPAAC program.
Thank you once more to everyone for their time and participation in this event. We hope to see you again next year!
Anyone interested in learning about the FPAAC training program should contact Mason Sullivan, sullivan@pdxmex.com