Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) Prince William Sound regains full operations following an electrical fire

Wednesday the fire alarm in the Electronics Support Detachment Valdez building was triggered indicating a potential fire in the electronics room. The Valdez Fire Department immediately responded to the alarm, cleared the space of any potential danger, and stated the smoke appeared to be due to an electrical short in one of the equipment racks.

Coast Guard VHF-FM radio circuits and Vessel Traffic Service remote sensor systems remained operational following the short; however, the Vessel Traffic Center’s visual tracking display was temporarily disabled. Early morning Thursday technicians successfully restored the display and Vessel Traffic Service Prince William Sound was returned to normal operations.

“The Coast Guard plans for all types of situations to include loss of Vessel Traffic Service electronics,” stated Lt. Cmdr. Michael Franklin, the Marine Safety Unit Valdez executive officer.

“Following an established electronics contingency plan, our VTS watch took quick and decisive actions to ensure no loss in service to the traffic management system.”