Fire Fighting

Fire on board can be of great danger to the whole ship, even if it is a small fire. Most of the
risks have already been eliminated by the design of the ship. What risk remains can only be avoided
by everyone on board taking care. Prompt action is essential for effective fire-fighting, and
knowledge of the location and use of fire equipment is necessary to permit immediate action. When
you see a fire you should:
1. Sound the alarm;
2. Rescue people in danger;
3. Fight the fire with the available fire equipment until the fire team takes over.
In the cabin you may find one or more fire detectors such as:
smoke detectors;
flame detectors;
heat detectors
which will indicate a fire. An alarm will be shown on the fire control panel. Detectors are in
position around the ship in all fire-sensitive areas. A sprinkler system will spray the cabin with
water to extinguish fire.
There is an audio/visual fire-warning device on the bridge and in the engine control room indicating
when and where a fire has occurred.
There are several types of fire extinguishers suitable for different types of fires.
The water fire extinguisher is used to put out fires in textiles, wood, paper etc. Never use water
fire extinguishers where live electrical equipment is located.
The foam fire extinguisher is used to extinguish fires in combustible liquids like oil.
The powder fire extinguishers are used mainly to extinguish fires in electrical equipment, but can
also be used to fight fires in combustible liquids and light metals. There are special dry chemical
powders for fires of this type.
Fixed fire-fighting systems using Halon and CO2 are found in the engine room and other
machinery spaces.
All personnel must be evacuated from these areas before the system can be activated.
If someone is left in the area, he or she could be killed by the gas (CO2).
On board some ships special foam monitors are available on deck to extinguish large fires. Some of
the crew members will be specially trained in fire fighting and be part of the fire fighting team on
board. At a fire alarm the fire team will muster at the Fire Station and rapidly prepare themselves to
fight whatever fire on board.
Vocabulary
audio/visual fire-warning device = dispozitive audio/video de prevenire a incendiilor
dry chemical powder = substane chimice praf
fire control panel = pupitru de control incendii
fire equipment = echipamente/instalaie de incendiu
fire extinguisher = stingtor
Fire Station = punct de lupt mpotriva incendiului
fire-fighting = lupta mpotriva incendiilor
fire-sensitive area = zon predispus la incendii
foam fire extinguisher = stingtor cu spum
heat detector = detector de cldur
live electrical equipment = echipamente electrice sub tensiune
to muster = a se aduna
powder fire extinguisher = stingtor cu substane chimice uscate
to put out = a stinge
smoke detector = detector de fum
sound the alarm = a da alarma
sprinkler system = sistem de stropire

Alarms on board
It is important to know which different kinds of alarms there are on board a ship and how to
respond to them. All alarm signals and indicators must be clearly understood by everyone on board.
A general emergency alarm is only given in the case of an emergency to all persons on
board. All passengers and crew must get their life-jackets and go as quickly as possible to their
Muster and Boat Stations. They have to follow the direction indicators to the Muster Stations. At the
Muster and Boat Stations wait for further instructions from the ships Master.
The fire extinguishing alarm warns of the imminent release of the fire-extinguishing
material into the space in question: CO2 or halon. If you are in that room, leave immediately because
CO2, halon or something similar will be released. The watertight door-closing alarm is a warning
signal for the closing of the power operated doors.
On the bridge there are panels and positions for a number of individual visual alarms and
indicators. In the engine room there are panels and positions for a number of visual alarms and
indicators concerning the main engine and power failures.
The vessels rescue-boat crew will be notified by alarm over PA system. If you belong to the
rescue-boat crew upon hearing the alarm you must get your life-jacket and go as quickly as possible
to the rescue-boat. When a helicopter is going to land on a ship, the alarm will be announced over
the PA system.
The end of an emergency will be announced over the public address system: All hands! All
hands! Emergency over. Return to duties.
Some usual phrases used when raising alarm are:
Operate the general emergency alarm.
General emergency alarm operated.

Inform the Master/Chief Engineer.

Master/Chief Engineerinformed.

Inform coast radio station/vessels in vicinity.

Send an urgency message/distress message.
coast radio station/vessels in vicinity informed. Urgency message/distress message sent.
This is your Captain speaking: A minor fire has broken out in
There is no immediate danger to crew or vessels and there is no reason to be alarmed.
Leave the engine room/the superstructure/your stations/your cabins immediately and close all
openings.
Take your equipment with you according to muster list.
Do not go to your lifeboat stations before you are ordered to do so.
Do not embark the lifeboats/life rafts. The order to embark the lifeboats/life rafts will be given from
the bridge.
Vocabulary
alarm signals and indicators = semnale i indicatoare de alarm/de avertizare
general emergency alarm = alarm general de urgen/pericol
life-jacket = vest de salvare
Muster Station = punct de adunare
Boat Station = punct al brcilor de salvare
fire extinguishing alarm = alarm de incendiu
fire-extinguishing material = material de stins incendiul
watertight door-closing alarm = alarm/semnalizare de nchidere a uilor etane
warning signal = semnal de avertizare
power-operated door = u acionat automat
panels and positions = panouri i puncte
visual alarms and indicators = indicatoare i alarme vizuale
power failure = cdere de tensiune
rescue-boat crew = echipajul brcii de salvare
public address system/PA system = sistemul de anunare general