Advanced Fire Fighting

Fire-Fighting


Fire-fighting is the act of extinguishing destructive fires. A fire-fighter fights these fires to prevent destruction of life, property and the environment. Fire-fighters' goals are to save life, property and the environment. A fire can rapidly spread and endanger many lives; however, with modern Fire-fighting techniques, catastrophe is usually, but not always, avoided. To prevent fires from starting, a fire-fighter's duties include public education and conducting fire inspections.

The history of organized fire-fighting dates back at least to Ancient Egypt, where hand-operated pumps may have been employed to extinguish fires. The first Roman fire brigade was a group of slaves who were hired by an aedile Marcus Egnatius Rufus. Marcus Licinius Crassus made a fortune buying up properties near on-going blazes on the cheap and then having his brigades extinguish the fires. Augustus took this idea from Rufus and then built on it to form the (Vigiles) in AD 6 to combat fires using bucket brigades and pumps, as well as poles, hooks and even ballistae to tear down buildings in advance of the flames. The Vigiles patrolled the streets of Rome to watch for fires and served as a police force. The later brigades consisted of hundreds of men, all ready for action. When there was a fire, the men would line up to the nearest water source and pass buckets hand in hand to fire.

The occurrence of a fire or explosion on a vessel at sea is potentially one of the most hazardous occurrences that can face by a Master and the crews. The danger to life may be great, particularly in the case of a large passenger-carrying vessel. There is also the potential for extensive damage to be sustained by the vessel. Therefore this course aimed at producing crews who are well trained on the following; to organize and train fire parties, to inspect and service fire detection and extinguishing systems and equipment, to control fire-fighting operations onboard ships and to investigate and compile reports on incidents involving fire. As this course is in progress, all candidates are bound to comply with META Safety Rules.

The principles of survival in relation to fire

Fire on board is an operation under special circumstances.

A fire on a ship is one of the most dangerous incidents which can happen on board. If the fire is detected in good time, the crew can prevent larger damages by taking immediate measures – such as fighting the fire by use of a fire hose under breathing protection. If the fire has already spread, professional aid is absolutely needed, which can be rendered via helicopter or by ship.

Fighting a fire at sea is significantly different to fighting a fire on land. It is vital to understand the principles of survival in relation to fire which are:

·         knowledge on theory of fire precautions

·         regulated realistic training and drills

·         formulation of contingency plans for fire emergency

·         identification of emergency escape

·         identification on dangers of smoke and toxic fire

·         regular inspection and maintenance of:

Ø    fire-detection equipment

Ø    portable fire extinguishers

Ø    fixed fire-fighting equipment

Ø    fire-fighter’s outfit

Adapted from 'Advanced Fire Fighting' by Capt Muhammad Ismail Mohd Noor