The Fire Fighting Course.

[Keith Tindell]

Just as a matter of interest John, was that on all the ships you were on ?, Oz or UK as well ?, i know in Uk we expected to have access to ships plans in the event, as said before as much info as possible to help.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Cannot recall the red tube (can't recall a lot of things these days) but a GA plan was always affixed to the bulkhead in the cross alleyway adjacent to the gangway, in some ships also had a fire appliance location plan.

[j.sabourn]

No I can only remember it prior to 1966. After that I was on f.f . Ships for 5 years, and after that back to normal .it wasn’t something I really thought about so may or may not have been there . I was on over 80 vessels during my time at sea of varying types , some had fire fighting equipment built in themselves to assist other vessels. There are 3 vessels I can’t even remember their names and have no records such as discharges from , so unlikely to remember a red tube at the top of the gangway. It wasn’t a really big issue with me and would have come under the 3 mate as safety officer responsible for the maintainance of lifeboats and fire appliances . Maybe someone else can remember the red tube , can remember the green door however but never what was behind it. Cheers JS

[j.sabourn]

#22. Maybe in all facts the GA plan positioned where you say Ivan covered the M notice , which I tend to think why it was placed where it was , because maybe the ship was of different design . Cheers JS

[John Arton]

#15 &#19
It is a SOLAS requirement to have a fire control plan situated in a watertight container situated in a prominent position outside of the accommodation. It is also advised in some companies management system that a current cargo plan and crew list also be included with the fire control plan. The watertight container mentioned is that red painted tube mentioned by Ivan and john s.
Rgds
J.A.
https://www.marineinsight.com/marine...-plan-on-ship/

[Keith Tindell]

Ships fire fighting a very interesting subject, i seem to recall many years ago seeing a photo of a ship capsized on the quayside, from the amount of water being used for the brigade for firefighting, maybe from that they started to train fire officers, and most large dock fire brigades had them, known as ships stability officer. They would have done a lot of the marine courses i presume, and they would have liased with the ships own officer. I also seem to recall reading of a ship on fire and becoming unstable, and having a large hole cut in the ships side, close to the waterline. i hope my memory of that is correct, maybe someone else will recall that.

[j.sabourn]

Fires in Engine room are best handled by setting off the CO2 system or Halon system , think the Halon system was found not to be conducive to good health , so may not be in use today. This means making the engine room blanked off to the atmosphere , so water in the E,R. Would normaly be a rare thing. The large hold spaces would be a different problem with large amounts of water in them would cause a free surface effect and non conducive to maintaining positive stability. I don’t begrudge any fireman fighting a fire on a ship. I would rather watch it on the telly in the pub. JS ....

[j.sabourn]

As regards my short year on tankers it was drummed onto me that the most dangerous time on a tanker was when it was empty and not gas free. A loaded tanker which has been inerted is supposed to be as safe as houses. My first two cargoes on such as what the yanks made their bombs from , and the two tankers I was on did not have an inert gas system . JS

[John Arton]

With CO2 systems covering the engine room, once you initiate it the whole banks of cylinders are released so it's basically a one shot system so it's vital that before setting it off you ensure that all fire flaps are closed properly, all ventilation stopped. This is the reason that all class and flag surveyors are not on inspection and checking the operation of engine room fire flaps. Once CO2 is released its important to allow sufficient time for the fire to not only be extinguished but for a sufficient time to elapse for cooling down. Opening up the engine room too early can result in the fire reigniting.
Halon was favoured as once an individual bottle was released, if it extinguished the fire before it emptied itself the bottle could be closed and any remaining contents stored in case of further outbreaks until the bottles could be refilled.
Rgds
J.A.

[Denis O'Shea]

#26 if I remember the 1st E of Canada capsized in Gladstone dock after being flooded to put the fire out, RLT will probably remember this incident and enlighten us further. Den