May be of interest.

[j.sabourn]

my next door neighbour in Whitley Bay was the ex fire Chief of Plymouth dead now for a number of years , forget his name at the moment. Just had a brain flash think it was Fetterman JS or maybe Fiddaman JS

[Keith Tindell]

I did the BA instructors course at Moreton in Marsh, plus other courses at different times. The BA instructors course was a killer, they had full size apartment buildings, oil tanks, full size concrete ship, in a dock. the ships fire fighting exercise was the toughest, there were huge steel containers in the lower hold, when they had been lit for some time full of timber, the BA crews had to lift the hatches, enter the hold and down to the lower hold, pulling jets with them, and eventually put the fire out, could not be done with one cylinder, max 30 min duration, so changing teams to achieve. I used to pour the sweat out of my boots each time. There was safety doors to the outside in the advent of an emergency, and observers on all floors. One guy on the course was 53, and after one exercise, said sod that , got in his car went back to brigade and retired, he only had two years to go to retirement anyway. in my day you had to retire at 55 whatever.

[j.sabourn]

This ex fire chief Fiddaman from Plymouth used to go round all the big stores in Newcastle after retiring giving them advice on all their appliances . He told me he admired the seafarers he put through their paces saying they had to learn in a week when a fireman had a month to do the same thing. His words . JS. John Fiddaman was his name thought my memory had gone for a moment but has decided to fight another day .JS

[Keith Tindell]

I think the seamen course of firefighting was a bit tough at Warsash John, it was run by Hants Fire Service, and they had a ship mockup os steel. i am sure someone here would have done the course there.

[James Curry]

Anyway to get back on the thread again entry into void spaces and cargo tanks on any gas tanker I was on was only ever done when the O2 level was registered at a minimum of 19.5%.
The process for void space entry was to ventilate the space using dehumidified dry air and brinfing the O2 level up to a safe level for entry. Even so once this was achieved persons entering the space was limited to those only required to do so. Personal O2 Monitors were carried as well as an ELSA set.
For cargo tank entry it was a major work up. Tank temperature was raised and then the tank was pumped with inert gas provided with the IG Plant to displace the LNG/LPG gas this was either sent to the boilers as BOG or vented via the mast risers. Once LEL was achieved the tank atmosphere was replaced with dry air until the O2 levels were high enought for tank entry.

[Tony Taylor]

I did the BA instructors course at Moreton in Marsh, plus other courses at different times. The BA instructors course was a killer, they had full size apartment buildings, oil tanks, full size concrete ship, in a dock. the ships fire fighting exercise was the toughest, there were huge steel containers in the lower hold, when they had been lit for some time full of timber, the BA crews had to lift the hatches, enter the hold and down to the lower hold, pulling jets with them, and eventually put the fire out, could not be done with one cylinder, max 30 min duration, so changing teams to achieve. I used to pour the sweat out of my boots each time. There was safety doors to the outside in the advent of an emergency, and observers on all floors. One guy on the course was 53, and after one exercise, said sod that , got in his car went back to brigade and retired, he only had two years to go to retirement anyway. in my day you had to retire at 55 whatever.

Keith, that was sound common sense then, but now with revised retirement ages, I cant see many over 60s doing it, unless looking to cash in his life insurance early.