Assignment E3 Fire-fighting appliances

1. Fire-fighting appliances used in the machinery spaces:

The following fire-fighting appliances can be found in the machinery spaces:

12 kg powder extinguisher: Tank top: 5

4th deck: 7
3rd deck: 11
2nd deck: 1
Steering gear: 2

25 kg powder extinguisher: 3rd deck: 2

5 kg CO2 extinguisher: Tank top: 1

4th deck: 2
3rd deck: 1
2nd deck: 2

Fire hose station: Tank top: 4

4th deck: 3
3rd deck: 3
2nd deck: 1
Steering gear: 1

Foam unit: 4th deck: 1

3rd deck: 2

Fixed CO2 system: Entire engine room w/o steering gear

Water spray system: Steering gear: 1

2. Location of the fire-fighting appliances:

Sketches showing the locations of the fire-fighting appliances in the machinery

spaces are included.

3. Method of operation:

A fire is a chemical process in which a fuel at a high temperature is oxidised. Thus

three requirements for a fire can be outlined:

Fuel
Heat
Oxygen

By removing one of these or by inhibiting the chemical process, a fire can be

extinguished.

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 Assignment E3 Fire-fighting appliances

Removing the fuel is not always a possibility. For oil fires specifically, it is often
possible to shut off the oil supply with a remotely operated valve. Other ways to
remove the fuel could be to dump the item on fire overboard. This is rarely possible.

This leaves the two major ways of fighting fires on board a ship; Cooling and
asphyxiation.

Powder extinguisher: Suitable for all kinds of small fires. Works be

chemically inhibiting the oxidisation process that
takes place in a fire. It requires that you can get close
to the fire, therefore it is not suited for large scale fire
fighting.

1. Pull out stop pin.

2. Aim the hose at the bottom of the fire.
3. Cover the fire by following the flames upwards.

CO2 extinguisher:
It works by depleting the oxygen from the air, thus
asphyxiating the fire. Not suitable for solids since
these are hard to extinguish by asphyxiation.
Preferable for electric fires since it does not conduct
a current and it requires no cleaning after the fire.

1. Pull out stop pin.

2. Press the trigger and cover the fire.

Fire hoses: Not suitable for electric fires or oil fires. Water is
sprayed on the fire, from which it consumes vast
amounts of energy to evaporate the water. This has a
huge cooling effect on the area. Since water is
usually heavier than oil and evaporates at a lower
temperature than oil, it is dangerous to use it for
fighting oil fires. If water gets below the surface of the
oil and evaporates, it will boil violently and spread the
oil around in small droplets.

1. Roll out the fire hose

2. Connect the fire hose to a fire hydrant and
connect the nozzle.
3. Set the nozzle to spray and gently open the
hydrant valve.
4. Cover the fire.
5. Do not set the nozzle to jet when combating liquid
fires.

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 Assignment E3 Fire-fighting appliances

Foam unit: Suitable for oil fires. It works by adding a foam agent
to the water used in fire hoses and by using a special
pipe to mix it with air to produce the foam. The foam
is sprayed out in a way so it can float on top of the
burning oil thus asphyxiating the fire.

1. Roll out the fire hose

2. Connect the fire hose to a fire hydrant in one end
and the foam inductor in the other.
3. See to that the inductor is supplied with foam
concentrate.
4. Connect another fire hose to the inductor and
mount the foam branch pipe in the other end.
5. Spray foam at a bulkhead or similar so the foam
floats down on top of the burning oil, thus
extinguishing the fire.

Fixed CO2 system:
Only to be used on the Masters order. The fixed CO 2
system can be released from the fire station and from
the CO2-room.
It works by depleting the oxygen from the air, thus
asphyxiating the fire.
The fixed CO2 system covers the engine room, the
cargo holds and the emergency generator room.

1. Shut down machinery and oil supplies.

2. Ensure no crew is left in the CO2-covered spaces.
3. Close all relevant fire flaps.
4. Release CO2 into the desired area by following
the instructions in the fire station or in the CO 2-
room.
5. Do not re-enter the affected areas before proper
time has been allowed for structural cooling and
ventilation.

Water spray system:
Fixed installation in the paint shop. Fresh water is
stored under pressure in the fresh water hydrophore
tank. When released, it will be atomised by the
nozzle heads and form very small droplets. These
will float freely in the air and extinguish the fire by
cooling and asphyxiation.

1. Close the door to the paint shop.

2. Activate the water spray system by pressing the
control button next to the door to the paint shop.

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