FIRE-FIGHTING APPLIANCES AND REGULATIONS

Question 1. What is contained in the ship’s fireman’s outfits?

Answer: A fireman’s suit with boots and gloves; a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA);
harness and safety line; a protective helmet; safety lamp (3h) ; and a fireman’s hand axe with
insulated handle.

Question 2. What is the construction of the fireman’s ‘safety line’ and why is so
constructed?

Answer: The safety line is a woven flax line constructed about a steel core. The purpose of this
construction is that the steel core would not be burned through, even if the flax caught alight.

Question 3. When kitting a man up with the SCBA, what safety checks would you make?

Answer: check the condition of all the straps that they are not worn and that they are secure
about the body. Inspect the air gauge and ensure that the cylinder is full. When turning on the
air valve listen for the ‘whistle’ alarm signal. When placing the mask over the face an even
tension must be applied to the mask straps in order to create an airtight/smoke seal. This would
be subsequently checked by shutting the air valve so that the wearer would experience the mask
‘crushing’ onto the face, so creating a partial vacuum. This denotes that the wearer is not
drawing air from around the sealed mask. I would then open up the valve to allow the wearer to
breathe on demand. Finally, communication with the wearer and the control position would be
checked to ensure a safe entry.

Question 4. What is the capacity of the ‘emergency fire pump’?

Answer: two jets of water to any part of the vessel hydrant and also be able to produce a
pressure of 2.1 bar on a third additional hydrant

Question 5. What length are the fire hoses on your ship?

Answer: Minimum of 18 m and a maximum of 27 m, as per the

regulations

Question 9. In the event of fire on board, what signal would you expect to hear?
Answer: Continuous ringing of the ship’s fire alarm bells
Question 10. How much air time is contained in the ‘Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus’
bottles, assuming that the wearer is working at a steady rate?

Answer: Normal working conditions for a person wearing breathing apparatus, would expect to
provide approximately, thirty-five (35) minutes of air. After this the low air alarm whistle should
sound.

The duration of the cylinder can be calculated with this formula: volume (in liters) * pressure (in bars) /
40 - 10 in minutes (the 10 is subtracted to provide a safety margin), so a 6-liter cylinder, of 300bar, is 6 X
300 / 40 - 10 = 35 minutes working duration.

40-breathing per minute

Question 17. What colour is a CO2 fire extinguisher, and what type of fire would you
expect to use it on?

Answer: CO2 extinguishers are black in colour and would generally be expected to be used on
electrical fires.

Question 23. How is the pump room of a tanker, fire protected?

Answer: Pump rooms on tankers are protected spaces and covered by a fixed fire extinguishing
system, Usually a CO2 operation.
Note: Pump rooms are treated as enclosed spaces, After July 2002, cargo pump rooms were
required to be fitted with gas detection/bilge alarm systems.

Question 27. What are the three elements of the so-called ‘fire triangle’?

Answer: Fuel, oxygen and heat.

Question 28. A man fitted with Breathing Apparatus would be expected to wear a harness
and have a lifeline fitted. What is the construction of the lifeline and why is it so
constructed?

Answer: The lifeline is constructed with a steel wire core and an outer covering of flax. The
purpose of the wire core is to prevent the wire from being burnt through.

Question 29. What type of nozzles are fitted to the hoses aboard ships?
Answer: Ships must be fitted with dual-operation spray and jet nozzles.
PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER
1. All of approved type and capacity not more than 13.5 ltrs and not less than 9 ltrs.

INTERNATIONAL SHORE CONNECTION

Common link between the vsl and shore for pressuring fire main line. One to be used on each
side of the ship

Fixed deck foam system.

1. Capable of delivering foam to ensure cargo tank area as well as into cot.
2. Rate and foam not less than 0.6 ltrs/m2 min.
3. Sufficient foam concentrate to produce foam for at least 20 min.
4. Foam supplied through foam monitors/applications.
5.Capacity of any monitor at least 3 ltrs/ m2 min.
6. Capacity of any application not less than 400 ltrs / min and turn not less than 15 mtrs.
LIFE LINE SIGNALS
2 – pull - more line
3 – pulls - get me out
3 – pulls from operator – came out now
1 – pulls (for bellow) – more air

Measures to be taken by the person who first observes the fire

Raise the Alarm/inform Bridge if possible/tackle fire immediately (if practical, i.e. small fire)

Measures by the Navigational Officer of the Watch

Raise the ‘General Alarm’, Call the Master, Engines placed on SBE. Bring the Bridge to an alert status. Obtain a
charted position. Proceed to fire station once relieved as OOW and report made to Master

Accommodation fires generally occur in Class ‘A’ combustible material

(see Table 15.1);bearing this in mind,the following course of action is recommended:
1. Raise the alarm.
2. Reduce speed. (all types of fire)
3. Close down all mechanical ventilation.
4. Have fire-fighters, working in pairs, investigate and tackle the fire.
5. Isolate electrical ‘live’ circuits.
6. Surround the fire,attacking it from as many sides as possible with hoses.
7. Close all fire and watertight doors.
8. Approach the fire with the aid of breathing apparatus.
9. Have communications officer standing by to transmit emergency or
distress signals.
10. If traffic, weather and sea room will allow bring the wind to a direction that will reduce the draught in the ship

TANKER VESSELS (CLASS 7T)

• For tankers of 20,000 tonnes deadweight or above, protection for

cargo tank deck area and cargo tanks shall be achieved by a deck foam
system and an inert gas system, respectively.
Fire-Fighting 489
• Tankers carrying petroleum products having a flashpoint exceeding
60°C (closed cup test) must be fitted with a fixed deck foam system
capable of supplying sufficient foam concentrate from monitors and
applicators to ensure 20 minutes of foam generation in tankers fitted
with an inert gas system, and 30 minutes of foam generation in vessels not fitted with Inert Gas Systems.
• All tankers operating with a crude oil washing system must have an
inert gas system.

• Fireman’s outfits, four (4).

fIXED FIRE-FIGHTING INSTALLATIONS
1. CO2 gas system
2. Foam system
3. Pressurised water sprinkler system
4. Water mist fixed pressure spray system

Every sprinkler head must be placed in an overhead position within a

pattern to maintain an average application rate of 5 litres of water per
square metre per minute over the protected space.The operational temperature range in accommodation areas, with
exceptions, will be from 68°C to 79°C.

The CO2 extinguishing system must be able to discharge 85% of the gas in the engine room within 2
min.

monthly checks on ffa

-pa system
all fire extinguishers, hydrants, hoses, and nozzles
-all fire man’s outfits, scba and eebd
-portable gas detectors
-portable fire extinguishers and portable foam applicators
-fire door and dampers
-sprinkler system

contents of a fire plan

-fire fighting equipments
-ventilation system
-means of access to spaces
-remote controls
-identification of fire zones
-location of control stations
-crew list
-stowage plan
How to check dry powder?
remove CO2 cartridge an weight it, it has full and empty stamped on it.

Shake it in order to prevent from solid

Class A: burning of woods, glass, fibre and furnishing (water extinguisher) RED
Class B: which occurs from lubricating oils and fuels (Foam extinguisher) Creme
Class C: energized electrical equipment (CO2) Black
Class D: Metals, combustible materials, such as magnesium, aluminium, zinc. (dry powder) blue
Class K: cooking media, fats, Greece. (Fire blanket)