Fire Readiness
Written by Mark Fitzgerald
CGF 2010 Volume: 2 Issue: 5 (October)
In Maritime Fire Incidents, Training, Equipment And
Staffing Thresholds Often Limit Response Capabilities
of Many Coast Guard Units, And In Some Areas,
Sources Of Support Are Not Readily Available.
In July, a boathouse at Coast Guard Station Menemsha on Martha’s Vineyard went up in flames. The fire ravaged nearly everything in its immediate vicinity, including an extended wooden pier leading to the west dock on the Menemsha harbor, a truck and trailer, and some small boats nearby. Firemen from all six island fire departments responded but could do nothing to stop the mounting inferno—encouraged by a 15-knot southwest wind—from engulfing the pier. A witness on site reported that within 20 minutes, the boathouse was burnt to the ground. The good news is that no one was injured, including all 13 Coast Guard personnel who were at the station when the fire erupted.
Although the Coast Guard certainly has a viable interest in fires involving vessels or waterfront facilities, local authorities, such as firemen, are principally responsible for maintaining the necessary firefighting capabilities within U.S. ports and harbors, according to the USCG Marine Safety Manual. The captain of the port (COTP) is responsible for directing Coast Guard law enforcement activities within a designated area and enforcing regulations for the protection and security of vessels, harbors and waterfront facilities; anchorages; bridges; safety and security zones; and ports and waterways. To ensure that an integrated response plan is developed, the COTP works closely with other Coast Guard units, municipal fire departments, vessel and facility owners and operators, mutual aid groups, and other interested organizations.
“In a fire situation, our first response would mainly be to assess the first-aid and life-safety needs,” explained Lieutenant Commander Suzanne Hemann. “Are there people that need immediate assistance? Are there people in the water? We also communicate and coordinate the situation closely with the fire department.”
TEAMWORK
If the fire is large enough, the Coast Guard might establish incident command systems (ICS) and operate in a unified commander role. “When the Coast Guard and the firefighting service join forces and perform in this capacity, usually it’s a smooth transition and seamless operation,” added Hemann. “Our main priority is life-safety issues, but we can also assist with controlling vessels in the area and setting up a safety zone around the fire. We might also assist by directing traffic, or establishing a hose line if necessary.”
Vessels, which are required to carry fire protection equipment onboard, depend on fire pumps that suck up sea water and pass it through hoses contained on the vessel. “If you’re at sea, you would be using sea water pumped by your own vessel to put out fires,” noted Hemman. Depending on local regulations, a port facility may have a connection to the harbor water or local water systems. Within each port, the Coast Guard is required to maintain an area contingency plan that includes firefighting and pollution response equipment. These directives, combined with its traditional functions and powers to render aid and save property, comprise the overall basis for Coast Guard firefighting activities.
Lighthouses are treated as shore structures, but most do not currently fall under Coast Guard control. The lighthouses that the Coast Guard controls are protected by the service’s prearranged facilities.
“They may have an agreement with local firefighters, or they may have their own firefighters, depending on the size of the station or area where that lighthouse may be,” said Hemann. “If the lighthouse is controlled on Coast Guard property, it may have its own firefighting brigade there—or local authorities may be responsible for its protection.”
VULNERABILITIES
On vessels, accommodation spaces, engine rooms and cargo call for special care and awareness. “I’ve seen a number of small galley fires or even laundry fires,” said Hemman. “We prepare as much as possible for engine room fires and cargo is usually controlled well under segregation regulations, which are especially important for chemicals or liquid oil cargoes.”
Using water to extinguish fires on vessels presents several challenges. “You’re talking about adding water to a vessel,” Hemman pointed out. “You can sink it, or you can fill flood spaces that make the vessel list. You can damage the machinery onboard or make it hazardous for crew members to walk around because now the vessel has tilted 15 to 20 degrees.”
As many areas on vessels are compartmentalized for safety and stability purposes, it may also be difficult to reach the places where fires occur. “An engine room fire, which might be fairly easily controlled if you have the right equipment, can still prove very difficult to get to quickly and safely because it’s a foreign environment,” Hermann recognized. “The power might go off, or it may be dark. Unless shipboard responders are there to help, it can be very difficult for folks from shore-based vessels or other vessels to come onboard and fight it.”
In fire situations, training, equipment and staffing thresholds often limit response capabilities of many Coast Guard units, and in some areas, sources of support are not be readily available.
Consequently, Coast Guard units sometimes are unable to mount a complete response to fires. “If you’re a vessel at sea, you generally have the tools to extinguish what you most likely will encounter,” said Hermann. “Many ships have fire mitigation equipment, such as sprinkler systems and fixed gas extinguishing systems.”
PROTECTION
For protection against heat, Coast Guard personnel wear standard firefighting turnout suits.
W. L. Gore and Associates supplies the Coast Guard with a variety of clothing, including fire resistant suits comprised of a laminate boasting a nomex/kevlar fabric, a fortified membrane and a nomex jersey liner. “Within Gore, we do a lot of work with materials that are inherently fire resistant,” said Michael Merrick, the company’s military outerwear product specialist. “We laminate kevlar and nomex textiles, which we bond to a flame resistant film to make a robust material.”
W. L. Gore is currently developing a new product line that utilizes a flame retardant which allows its laminate to maintain all of the benefits of inherently non-flame resistant products. “It’s hardened to resist flames,” explained Merrick. “This technology allows us to use the benefits of materials like nylon, which has a relatively low water pick up and has relatively stable color fastness.”
The company works closely with manufacturers—like Mustang Survival, which manufactures safety and protection garments, and Switlik, a parachute company—to ensure that its laminate is appropriate and fit for use in the final product.
INVESTIGATIONS
After a maritime fire incident occurs, the Coast Guard is often charged with investigating what happened. The scope of its involvement usually depends on the size of the fire and the degree of damage. It also examines the personnel onboard and their responses, questioning, for instance, whether a licensed mariner could have responded differently or more appropriately in the context of safety, or whether the chief engineer maintained the proper cleanliness standards in the engine room. In more formal investigations, as in case of the Deepwater Horizon response, the Coast Guard may be required to interact with the National Transportation Safety Board, or other agencies involved with relevant regulations.
“For a minor fire on a vessel, something that we receive a report on, we may conduct a small investigation into the cause,” noted Hermann. “We would document that in our database and track and verify that the damage had been repaired. For a larger fire, we send an investigator out to assist, or at least be a witness to some of the investigation into the cause. We are always looking for safety concerns and verifying that the current regulations and standards are enough to prevent a similar incident in the future.”
It is possible for findings from an investigation to suggest that the Coast Guard would benefit from changing its regulation or policy. Local investigating officers may identify concerns and make recommendations, which get forwarded to the Coast Guard chain of command and are tracked. “They come to our headquarters, where the appropriate offices review them,” explained Hermann. “So I have received reports that basically say, ‘This is the accident, this is what happened, and this is what we think needs to be changed in the regulations.’ My office is then responsible for responding by either explaining why we can’t change it, explaining why we don’t want to change it, or taking action to change it.” ♦