Page 18: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2017)

HOW TO: WORKBOAT FIREFIGHTING TRAINING

It has also been found that CO2 may be of the engine room vents had not been stream? (Don’t forget to ? ush them with ineffective or at least less effective if the secured and the CO2 is leaking out. It fresh water after use!) area protected becomes super-heated. turns out that this vent would have been Whether it’s operating powerful ? re-

So, timing at a CO2 operation can be assigned to the crewmember who was ? ghting monitors on a tug boat or OSV crucial. replaced, and the new crew member had or handling a ? re aboard your own ves-

In my training, I go over all the pro- no idea of his/her position during a CO2 sel you and your crews must be prepared cedures to be followed during a ? re operation. The moral was that ongoing by proper training. And proper training aboard your vessel. The ? rst is for the training is required and that any new cannot be assured by merely providing crewmember ? nding a ? re to sound the crewmember should be trained on emer- training materials. Vessel owners and alarm. Quite often a crewmember dis- gency duties required by him or her be- Masters must insure that the training ma- covers a ? re and immediately attempts fore they are assigned to the crew. terial is viewed and understood. This can extinguishment without sounding an Most mariners remember that “bound- only be assured by running realistic ? re alarm. If he or she is successful there ary cooling” should be conducted while and emergency drill scenarios. Merely may be no problem. But if the attempt the CO2 is controlling and extinguish- squirting water over the side is not a real- is unsuccessful, then the ? re may have ing the ? re. However, in my training I istic ? re drill. Set up drills with scenarios extended from its area of origin, making have found crews on some vessels may for ? res which might actually occur on

About the Author it impossible to manually attack. Worse be unaware that once CO2 has ? ooded your vessel. Don’t have a galley ? re for

Tom Guldner is a retired Lieutenant of yet, if the crewmember is overcome by the engine room the ? re pumps may no each drill! the New York City Fire Department’s the smoke and toxic gases, then no one longer be able to operate. During a ? re At these drills ? nd out what is working

Marine Division. His company, Marine aboard is aware of the ? re or of the un- scenario, I informed the crewmembers and what needs further training. Making

Fire? ghting Inc., is involved in consult- conscious crew member’s location, and who were stretching a hose from the the drill realistic will also test the emer- ing and training mariners and land- the ? re increases in intensity. vessels hose station that the ? re pump gency equipment. If you don’t stretch based ? re? ghters in all aspects of ma-

In a previous article of mine entitled was not operating and asked what they and charge a hose line you will not know rine ? re? ghting and Lique? ed Natural “Is Your Crew Ready for a Fire” I cre- would now do. Many were unaware that if it or the ? re pumps will operate as they

Gas (LNG). ate a scenario of a very well trained work they had another source of ? re? ghting should. w: www.marine? re? ghting.com boat crew who receives a replacement water. While most work boats have por- Marine Fire? ghting Inc. has been pro- e: [email protected] crewmember just as the vessel is getting table pumps, the crews are not aware that viding ? re? ghting and LNG training for underway. When an engine room ? re is they can provide an effective boundary mariners in the USA, Canada, Mexico, later discovered the master sounds the cooling ? re stream. Details such as this and Australia for over 17-years. alarm and orders that everyone follow are very often overlooked in the training Taking your training seriously will pre-arraigned, and well drilled tasks, to tapes and general training. When was the help protect you, your crewmates, and activate the CO2 system. After the CO2 last time your boat crews operated these your vessel.

activation, the Master discovers that one portable pumps to supply a ? re? ghting Stay safe,

Photos by Jason Segal, Mate with Moran Towing 18 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • APRIL 2017

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