Alliance-Norfolk

Midshipman Cody Kessler, a junior forward at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, was recognized as the Safety Award recipient for the month of March by the crew of the "Alliance Norfolk". Kessler was aboard the ship due to the academy's Year at Sea program. He worked for 26 hours in an effort to control a fire and re-flash fire which broke out on cargo deck No. 5 on Mar 12. Chief Engineer Thomas McKenzie praised Kessler’s efforts: "He is an extremely valuable ship asset and we are proud of the standard that he has set for himself and others.” Kessler’s duties during the fire included assisting the ship’s electrician in manually isolating leaking drainage piping, rigging and operating damage control pumping equipment and delivering drinking water to firefighters and crew members.

The fire on the "Alliance Norfolk" could be extinguished, by Mar 13 the ship was still off Pireaus. The ship was anchoring at Piraeus roads to undergo minor repairs when the fire broke out. The cause of the fire was so far unknown. Besides the 23-man crew 30 firefighters and two tugboats equipped with water cannons tackled the blaze. No crew and none of the five passengers were injured by the fire, however, one of the Greek firefighters was injured in the fire-fighting operation. The damage on board has not yet been assessed.

On Mar 12, 2012, a fire has broken out on the "Alliance Norfolk" off Piraeus. Firefighting ships were trying to extinguish the blaze on the ship which had 23 crew members and five passengers on board. The vessel was en route from the Jacksonville to Saudi Arabia with a consignment of cars and had moored for an inspection just off Piraeus.