Fire Wires or Emergency Towing-off

Pennants (ETOP’s), MEG 4, ISGOTT

Edn 6th Recommendations

Emergency Towing-off Pennants or ETOP’s is usually referred to as “ Fire wires,”

which provide a method of towing the vessel away from the
berth in the event of an emergency.
The intent of rigging fire wires or emergency towing pennants is to facilitate the
movement of the vessel by tugs without the necessity of putting people on board to rig
lines. In other words, it is used to assist tugs in the removal of the ship without the
intervention of any crew member.
Contents [hide]
 1 Recommendations
o 1.1 MEG 4 (4.7 Emergency tow-off pennants)
o 1.2 ISGOTT Edition 6 (22.3.1 Tanker’s mooring eqipment)
o 1.3 MEG 3 (3.12 Emergency Towing-Off Pennants)

Recommendations
MEG 4 (4.7 Emergency tow-off pennants)
OCIMF does not support the use of emergency tow off pennants although some
terminals may still require them when tankers are moored alongside.

Any requirements for emergency tow-off pennants should be subject to review and risk
analysis by terminals to determine whether or not there should be a requirement for
ships to deploy them. Questions that should be asked include:

1. Are emergency tow-off pennants really necessary and what is the possibility of
them being used?
 2. Do the terminal emergency procedures require a ship to be removed from the
berth if it is immobilized by fire?
3. Is it possible to release the ship moorings to permit the ship to be removed from
the berth?
4.  How long will it take for tugs to be mobilized?
5. Could the deployment of emergency tow-off pennants compromise security
arrangements for the ship and terminal?
6. What personnel resources are available on the ship and at the terminal to allow it
to be safely removed from the berth in an emergency?

Some terminals require different methods and operators should be aware of local
requirements.

ISGOTT Edition 6 (22.3.1 Tanker’s mooring eqipment)

The use of emergency tow-off pennants is not recommended by OCIMF. However,
some locations require them to satisfy local rules and regulations. More information is
available in OCIMF’s Lloyd’s Register Risk Assessment of Emergency Tow-off Pennant
Systems (ETOPS) Onboard Tank Vessels.

The existence of “fire wires” or, more correctly, emergency tow-off pennant systems
(ETOPS) is based more on history and having “always done it that way” than necessity.
Historical data shows no documented evidence of their use. At the same time, the
tanker industry has evolved bringing the practicality of ETOPS into question. With the
continued occurrences of injuries, both minor and serious, to vessel personnel
deploying and recovering ETOPS, it is time to discontinue the routine practice of
deploying ETOPS.

MEG 3 (3.12 Emergency Towing-Off Pennants)

MEG3 recommendation is obsolete, however contrary to above recommendations,
some terminals require fire wires to be rigged and positioned. Unless the terminal
specifically advises, emergency towing-off pennants (fire wires) should be positioned.
This is to be discussed during Pre-Berthing Terminal information exchange or in Ship
Shore Safety Key meeting with the Terminal.
 MEG3 – Rigging of Emergency Towing-off Pennant
If required, emergency towing-oft pennants are commonly provided at the offshore bow
and quarter. If required at a buoy mooring the emergency towing-off pennants will be
rigged on the opposite side to the hose string. To facilitate emergency release using
emergency towing-off pennants, they should be secured to bitts with a minimum of five
turns and be led directly to a ship side chock with no stack on deck. The outboard end
of the line is provided with an eye to which a heaving line is attached and led back, to
the deck. During loading or discharge, the heaving line is periodically adjusted to
maintain the eye of the emergency towing off pennant on to two meters above the water
as shown above. Some terminals require different methods and operators should be
aware of local regulations.
 FireWire Stowed on Reel
When not in use, the pennants are preferably spooled onto reels which may be located
on or below deck. Emergency towing-off pennants should be of 6 x 36 IWRC
construction and be made of the same type of steel as recommended for standard
mooring wires as per MEG. The use of synthetic or natural fibre ropes that do not have
appropriate fire-resistant characteristics is not permitted as these would burn in the
event of a fire. However, synthetic fibre ropes may be considered for use in the future if
they are developed with adequate fire resistance. Their use will ease the handling
difficulties often associated with wires. In view of their low coefficient of friction, more
than five turns may be necessary when securing them to bitts. The following table
provides guidance on minimum strengths and lengths for various ship sizes. However,
lengths may vary depending on the positioning of mooring bitts and the ship’s
freeboard.

DWT MBL LENGTH

Less than 20,000 30 tonnes 25 m

20-100,000 55 tonnes 45 m
 100-300,000 100 tonnes 60 m

300,000+ 120 tonnes 70 m

Emergency towing-off pennants should not be attached to a set of bitts with an SWL
that is less than the MBL of the pennant. It should be noted that for bitts (double
bollards), the SWL marked on the bitts should be the maximum allowed when using a
wire rope belayed in a figure of eight near the base of the bitts. This will be half the
maximum permissible SWL when a single eye Is placed over one post.

Below is an example of wire rope and bitts on a Tanker ship with DWT 120,000:

Fire Wire Located on Aft Deck

 SWL of Bitt and Chock

Wire Rope Specifications on a Tanker Ship with DWT 120,000