Marine & Security

 

*Fire Reconstruction Consultants, Inc. was the first Origin & Cause Investigative Company to Specialize in Marine. We have conducted more than 1500 vessel fires and/or explosion investigations from 12’ runabouts to large ships, Factory Ships, Yacht Manufacturers, Marinas & Shipyards. It is important to know that Vessel Fires are totally different from Structure fires in the way they need to be investigated, please see explanation in paragraph below.

 

A) Underwater Investigative Services for the Following:

• Underwater origin & cause investigations of burned and sunken vessels
• Underwater Investigation Team available
• Underwater Searches and Locations
• Underwater Photography available, (including stills and video)

• Side Scan Sonar
• Recovery Operations
• Coral Reef Damage, Investigations & Evaluations
• ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) Operations
• Underwater origin and cause investigations in deeper water with
  video
• Extensive Investigation Experience throughout the
  Caribbean Basin/Central America & South America
• Underwater Security Surveys and Assessments - World Wide
  using Robotic Technology to effectively and efficiently
  assess conditions within State and Federal Maritime Transportation
  Systems (MTS), ie. Seaports and other marine facilities, in concert
  with current proposals and recommendations established by the National
  Strategy for Maritime Security. The NSMS recommendations
  address many different aspects of marine security. Our primary interest is
  to undertake identifying specific security gaps and conditions that may
  exist within the infrastructure of various coastal maritime sites that have
  not been previously addressed and investigated.

 

The R.O.V. (Remotely Operated Vehicle)

Protecting divers from hazards such as hypothermia, decompression, drowning and accidental injury and often needing to overcome poor visibility and hostile/turbid water conditions makes the (ROV) the underwater camera of choice in operations down to 1,000 feet. The ROV (remotely operated vehicle) with its high intensity lights, scanning sonar, tether management system, and manipulator arms enables Capt. Godfrey to videotape and photograph the evidence – in depths divers dare not tread. An underwater ‘mighty eye,’ the ROV reveals exact conditions and whether divers can safely descend for further exploration. Even in shallow water, the ROV allows real-time processing of information which can eliminate unnecessary diving.

With a solid foundation in aquatic research/farming, the ROV broadened its horizons after it was used to investigate the bombing of President Bush’s private boat and the sinking of the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor. Its practical application for the underwater investigative field “exploded.” Steven Van Meter worked with an ROV as NASA's hazardous-duty robotic specialist; his experience as former head of Kennedy Space Center’s security department and as a federal enforcement officer make him essential to Fire Reconstruction Consultants investigative team. The ROV (small enough to fit in a breadbox) is only part of Capt. Godfrey’s high-tech tool kit which he transports to worldwide sites. As a side scan sonar (sss) technician, he finds missing pieces from a vessel which can travel through the water during the fire sequence. Side scan sonar is very accurate in its imaging – like a photo – using sound waves underwater.

 

Vessel Fires are Different from Structure Fires/Explosions.

Since 1981, Fire Reconstruction Consultants has investigated underwater fires and explosions and received numerous accolades for its success rate and for specializing in Marine Fires/Explosions. Fire Reconstruction Consultants know that vessel fires are not like structure fires. Ever since ships were built, most of them have draft patterns designed through them. Air flows through the bilge from bow-to-stern. That causes a very small decrease in PSI pressure in the bilge and vessel through air currents which ultimately can pull a fire straight down (instead of letting it burn upwards and out as in a structure fire). Back to Top

 

B) Security

• Underwater Training, Planning, Implementation & Management for Security
• Training of Port Security Personnel in the usage of sophisticated
  underwater detection equipment and robots
• Bomb Defense Site Surveys
• Explosive Ordinance Testing & Training
• Weapons Testing
• Hazmat
• Site Surveys
• Incident Investigation
• O.S.H.A. Training