APPROACHING A VESSEL ON FIRE

1. APPROACHING A VESSEL ON FIRE January 2012 CANADIAN COAST GUARD AUXILIARY - PACIFIC

2. Fire Fighting Policy

3. Fire Fighting Policy • In general rescue vessels are not to get involved with fighting fires on vessels, unless there is a very specific need such as to save lives, AND with the specific permission of Joint Rescue Coordination Centre.

4. Dangers on Approach

5. Dangers on Approach • Full or partially full propane tanks, and associated danger of boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion (bleve). • Gasoline, either in the fuel tanks, or in portable containers on deck. • Smoke. • Fumes from burning glass reinforced plastic. • Burning embers. • Dive tanks with compressed air.

6. Dangers on Approach • Where the dangers of fire or explosion are considered too great, and there are people trapped on the vessel, they should be encouraged to don a PFD or lifejacket and jump into the water to be picked up by the rescue vessel.

7. Dangers on Approach • If it is necessary to approach a burning vessel to pick up survivors, it is recommended that the crew set up the dewatering pump, and set up a water wall to absorb most of the heat from the fire while making the approach.

8. Dangers on Approach • In a fire situation it is necessary to watch the wind direction, which will govern where the smoke goes. • Most fires this will be the current weather. • However in some hot fires, this wind direction can change, due to the heat, as can the result of powerful hoses from ashore change the direction and volumes of smoke, fumes and embers generated.

9. Dangers on Approach • Do not get too close to a vessel that may loose its stability, as the rescue vessel does not want to be caught in its capsize.

10. Approaching a Vessel on Fire

11. Approaching a Vessel on Fire • The four situations of vessels on fire are: 1. Underway. 2. Anchored or moored to a buoy. 3. Alongside a dock. 4. Aground.

12. Approaching a Vessel on Fire 1. Underway • If the vessel is underway but stopped it will lie broadside to the wind, with bow or stern being down wind depending upon the above water windage. • If the vessel can be making way, it may be possible for the vessel to be steered in such a way as to have the smoke blow overboard, and provide a better evacuation point.

13. Approaching a Vessel on Fire • The approach will be made from windward, bow towards the casualty vessel, keeping the rescue vessel out of the smoke and possibly noxious fumes down wind.

14. Approaching a Vessel on Fire 2. Anchored or moored to a buoy. • The vessel will lie downwind of its anchor or the buoy to which it is made fast. • The approach will be made from windward, approaching the bow of the casualty vessel, thus keeping the rescue vessel out of the smoke and possibly noxious fumes down wind.

15. Approaching a Vessel on Fire 3. Alongside a dock. • A fire while alongside is the responsibility of the fire department. • Evacuation from the onboard side will be only likely if people are trapped onboard and cannot get to the dock, subject to the wind direction and smoke.

16. Approaching a Vessel on Fire 4. Aground. • If ashore within municipal or city jurisdiction, it will be the fire department to respond. • In calm weather anyone on board might be able to get ashore direct. • Where it is not calm, the wind may be onshore or offshore, and the approach made accordingly.

17. Approaching a Vessel on Fire • Where access ashore is not possible, and there are adverse sea conditions, the rescue vessel must carefully consider the best way to get people off the vessel.

18. Duties Responding to a Fire Incident

19. Duties Responding to a Fire Incident • Saving life. • Moving vessels, adjacent to the fire, clear. • Cooling down adjacent structures and vessels to prevent ignition. • Provision of lighting.

20. Duties Responding to a Fire Incident • In a marina situation at night it may be necessary to alert any people asleep on their vessel which are not aware of the fire. • Check the waters around the casualty for anyone who has already jumped overboard, or been blown overboard by an explosion.

21. Duties Responding to a Fire Incident • In an anchorage, moving adjacent vessels clear may involve: 1. cutting lines to mooring buoys, and towing, or 2. conducting an anchor tow.

22. Duties Responding to a Fire Incident • Alongside, this will likely be pulling boats out of their berths, to move them to another dock, anchor them (if there is time), or even temporarily leave them adrift, until all vessels are safely extracted. • Where boathouses are involved, it may be a matter of extracting vessels from boathouses, and / or keeping boathouses adjacent to the fire cooled down.

23. Environmental Response

24. Environmental Response • If there is likely to be fuel on board, which can cause pollution during or after the incident, then a oil spill boom should be deployed. • There are two types of boom: 1. a sausage boom 2. a skirted boom - this has a skirt which extends down 12 to 18 inches below the surface and therefore is better at retaining oil in rougher waters.

25. Environmental Response • If no oil spill booms are available, Joint Rescue Coordination Centre needs to be advised, so that they can organise transport of a boom to the incident.

26. Environmental Response • The boom should extend around the vessel and a reasonable distance off shore, so that in the event of a capsize the boom does not get dragged under. • This one is too close.

27. Environmental Response • In this case there was also the danger that if the vessel capsized, it could take the dock with it.

28. Environmental Response • Where two lengths of boom have to be joined together, and they are not designed to join together seamlessly, they should be joined with an overlap to better contain the pollutants.