Case Study: Panama City Port Authority achieves early fire detection and damage prevention with Xtralis VESDA

Panama City Port Authority - Customer Case Study

Panama City Port Authority operates a large Gulf-coast port and warehouse complex that stores a variety of cargo, including highly flammable biomass wood pellets. Concerned that conventional smoke detection would only alert after damage occurred, the Port sought a very early warning system able to perform reliably in a dusty, open warehouse environment and selected VESDA after a demonstration visit to an operational site in Sweden.

In 2008 Milton J. Wood Fire Protection installed nine VESDA VLP air‑sampling units (with a compressed-air back‑flush feature) in the 80,000 sq. ft. warehouse. Within months the system generated an alarm that led staff to discover and extinguish a developing fire in a tripper car before it caused damage—demonstrating VESDA’s early detection, rugged performance, and protection of people, stock and business continuity.

Panama City Port Authority

John Ramer

Manager of Terminal Services