ADVANCE FIRE FIGHTING

TYPE OF FIRE
PROCEDURE
If any of the ship's personnel should discover
a fire, they should immediately activate the
nearest fire alarm switch and then contact
the bridge or engine room, to report the
location of the fire and should inform anyone
met on the way. All other personnel must
report to their muster points on hearing the
alarm. The engine room should be advised as
soon as possible of the extent and location of
the fire so that all necessary services can be
made ready.
PROCEDURE
If the fire is small, the person
discovering it should attempt to
extinguish it by the nearest suitable
available means, after raising the alarm.
Should it not be possible to retard the
fire's progress, the discoverer should
report to their muster station.
FOUR STAGE IN SUCCESSFUL FIRE
FIGHTING
Find
Inform
Restrict
Extinguish
FIND
Even if a fire is only suspected, it is
essential that the alarm is raised
immediately so that the maximum fire
fighting potential of the ship can be
mustered immediately.
INFORM
This includes prompt reporting of the
location of the fire and immediate
sounding of the alarm, or confirmation
of an automatically generated alarm,
and notifying the engine room and/or
bridge of the location. Fire alarm
switches are located at strategic points
around the ship.
RESTRICT
The most effective initial action may
be to reduce the flow of air to the fire by
closing doors and other openings,
followed by prompt application of the
appropriate extinguishing medium.
Having established the location of the
fire, the officer in charge of fire fighting
operations must quickly decide:
RESTRICT
Whether any person is at risk.
What is burning?
The extent of the fire.
What combustibles are in the immediate vicinity and
the surrounding spaces adjacent to the area on fire?
What vents or other channels are present that would
assist the spreading of the fire.
What method or methods of extinguishing are
appropriate?
What is the best technique to adopt to prevent the fire
spreading and to extinguish it.
EXTINGUISH
Ensuring that no re-ignition
occurs
LIQUID FIRE
Liquid fires, particularly those involving low
flash point petroleum products, present the
most serious fire fighting problem on board
ships. Of the three factors that are necessary to
produce a fire, fuel, heat and air, the removal of
fuel is rarely practicable, except in the case of a
burst cargo hose, when the closing of the
manifold valve or stopping of the pumps will
cut off the supply of fuel or a spray from a
fractured pipe, or when the stopping of the fuel
pump or operation of quick closing valves will
cut off the supply of fuel.
 LIQUID FIRE
The removal of heat from a low flash point
LIQUIDLIQUID FIRE FIRE
oil fire, once established, is not practical
because such oils give off flammable vapours
at normal or sub-normal temperatures. It is
therefore necessary to remove the third
factor, air, by means of smothering agents
such as foam or CO2, together with the
sealing of the compartment. These methods
must be adopted immediately with a low
flash point oil fire.
SOLID FIRE
Solid fires are usually associated with
woodwork, bedding, clothes, stores, etc. and
may occur anywhere on board, but
particularly in the accommodation and
storerooms. The combustibles of this class
of fire leave embers and therefore CO2 or
dry chemical should not be used except as a
first-aid measure.
SOLID FIRE
Water, especially in a jet, is the most
effective agent for this class of fire and
should always be used. Inside the
accommodation, first-aid hose reels, if
fitted, are speedy and effective fire fighting
appliances as they are always ready for
immediate use and are also easy to handle.
Foam, because of its water content, may be
used in the later stages so as to avoid the
possibility of re-ignition when air regains
contact with the embers.
BURNING MATERIAL & TOXIC
PRODUCTS
Any combustible material (all contain
carbon) : CO and CO2
Polyurethane : Nitrogen oxides
Wool, silk, plastics containing nitrogen:
Hydrogen cyanide
Cellulose, plastics, rayon : Formic and
acetic acid
Wood, paper : Acrolein (tear gas)
Rubber : Sulphur dioxide
BURNING MATERIAL & TOXIC
PRODUCTS
PVC fire retardant plastics : Halogen acids
and phosgene
Melamine, nylon, urea formaldehyde
plastics : Ammonia
Phenol formaldehyde, (Bakelite) :
Aldehydes
Polystyrene : Gasoline
Polyurethane foam : Iso-cyanate
ELECTRICAL
Electrical fires may be caused by electrical
short circuits, overheating, or the spreading
of a solid or liquid fire. The circuits must be
isolated and CO2 or dry chemical
extinguishers should be used, both of which
are non-conductors of electricity. If neither
of these extinguishers are available, water
fog or foam may be used in that order of
preference, but they should be used only as
a last resort and with extreme caution.
ELECTRICAL
Should a fire occur on the main
switchboard, every effort should be made to
extinguish it with the non-conducting agents
and, only when these efforts have failed,
should recourse be made to the use of foam
appliances and water fog. This will, however
necessitate the complete isolation of the
switchboard, which in itself will reduce the
choice of fire fighting media available.