EMERGENCY LOCKER
As crew members arrive at the Emergency Locker, they should start getting prepared with their assigned equipment. This should be automatic and the crew members should not have to be told to do so. The following should be done:
1. Breathing apparatus men don their protective clothing immediately. The protective clothing provided in the locker is called a fireman's outfit. U.S. Coast Guard regulations do not specify exactly what a fireman's outfit is, but it is understood that it is the clothing that a fireman would wear to protect himself from the radiant heat of the fire and the hot gases of the fire. This clothing will include a foul weather gear top and bottom, rubber boots, and rubber gloves.
2. Breathing apparatus men now don their breathing apparatus and place it in the standby mode.
a. For the tank type breathing apparatus such as the Scott Air-Pak, this means the tank strapped on with tank valve open, the regulator set up, and the face mask hung off from the neck or tucked under one shoulder strap. The breathing hose is not yet plugged in.
3. Assigned equipment in the locker is picked up and checked out.
4. The fire fighters leave for the location of the fire.
Emergency Crew at the Scene
When the emergency crew arrives at the scene the officer in charge of the squad will take over from the witness as scene leader. The officer should obtain an update from the witness on the conditions at the scene. This information should include:
1. Whether boundaries have been set and if so then where.
2. Whether boundaries are holding and if not then where the fire is spreading.
3. What closures have been made and ventilation secured.
The officer in charge is now in a position to make a decision on how to fight the fire. He should direct the emergency squad to set up at least two hoses and lead them to the entrance to the area or zone on fire. It is preferable that the setup and the fire station selected be on the weather deck. Usually the interior of the ship is smoked out or about to be smoked out and visibility and breathing conditions are deteriorating rapidly. Interior fire stations should be used only as a last resort and then the farthest interior fire station from the fire should be selected.
It is preferable that the two fire hoses being run out should be led from separate fire stations but where this is not possible then they should be led from a single fire station using a Y-gate. Sufficient lengths of fire hose must be laid out to reach the farthest spot in the fire area to be entered. The number of lengths needed will have been previously determined during mock attack on the area in your weekly fire drills.
One fire hose should be fitted with an all-purpose nozzle and will be used as the attack nozzle. The other hose will be fitted with an all-purpose nozzle and 4-foot applicator and will be used as a backup hose during approach. The fine fog mist from the applicator will provide a heat shield for the fire fighters and also act to cool them during approach.
Each hose must be manned by a nozzle man and backup man. Both men on each hose must be fully dressed out and must be wearing breathing apparatus. These men need not be wearing safety lines since their hoses will be used to find their way out if necessary or can be used for rescuers to find their way in to the fire fighters.
