Posted on April 11, 2020
Crowley Maritime Corp. has developed design and operations capabilities for rapid response medical support barges to serve government and commercial providers delivering aid related the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
Based on Crowley’s multi-function fleet of ten 400-foot barges and one 260-foot barges, capabilities of these barges would include providing housing units capable of accommodating more than 500 people per barge or over 5,500 people total.
Other capabilities include
- The ability to quickly source and deliver numerous living arrangements (ships, outfitted barges and other structured facilities), including medical/hospital facilities;
- Specialized options to meet needs based on geography, quality of life, risk mitigation, and length of stay;
- In-house capability to provide vessels with supporting staff (stewards, cooks, electricians, mariners);
- Marine engineering and naval architecture services for cohesive design solutions.
Crowley’s associated fleet of towing vessels (tugboats) is pre-positioned in the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic seaboard, and Pacific Coast.
“Crowley has been a consistent, responsive partner of the U.S. government for more than 100 years in diverse missions,” said Crowley’s Chris Goss, vice president, expeditionary logistics and business development. “We understand the communities we serve are going through difficult and uncertain times. We stand ready to support COVID-19 response missions by providing speed to theater, 24/7/365 readiness, experience, high performance and best-in-class technology.”
Crowley’s history and experience supporting humanitarian, disaster and pandemic responses includes delivery of critical service to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Defense Logistics Agency, the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), USAID and the World Food program, as well as carrying out temperature-controlled distribution and cold chain storage. Crowley provided on-site logistics support and shipping services in support of the U.S. military’s Operation United Assistance to fight Ebola in West Africa in 2014-15.
“Our barges and towing vessels have the capability to be positioned virtually anywhere on water, including coastal cities and harbor communities. Combined with our project engineering and vessel design services, Crowley can tailor solutions to support responses to serve communities well,” said Jeff Andreini, general manager of Crowley offshore services.
Through Crowley Solutions, the company’s government services group, Crowley can provide:
- Expedited transportation services: time-definite delivery of supplies via air, ocean with Jones Act carriage, and truck, with real-time tracking and monitoring.
- Supply/vaccine warehousing services: GDP compliant storage of medical/ pharmaceutical products via standard warehousing or “warehousing in a box.”
- Command center operational services including a dedicated 24/7 control tower with the ability to coordinate information, manage shipments, manage suppliers, and provide real-time/actionable information.
More about Crowley’s COVID-19 response capabilities HERE
Source: marinelog
