Advanced Fire Fighting Training in the STCW isn’t easy, but can be life-saving.
Many issues surround firefighting, both on board and in a regulatory sense. The STCW mandates training ashore for all crew with an emergency response or pollution prevention responsibility; the implementation of the Manila Amendments in 2017 further requires refresher or revalidation training every five years to ensure these skills are not lost. Fire drills are a vital component in the training triangle — shoreside training, hazard awareness and on board drills.
So where does Advanced Fire Fighting training come in? The IMO, and flag states, recognize the fact that when fires happen on board, the vessel may not always be close to shoreside resources. The crew is the fire department, and it is up to the crew to determine how to fight the fire, what resources to utilize and what method of suppression to employ. In the Basic Fire Fighting courses, we are taught the “how to put out a fire” skill set, along with search-and-rescue techniques. Knowing how to employ skills effectively and how to control those resources is where advanced firefighting courses come in.
The STCW Code stipulates that persons taking the course should come out with core competencies to control firefighting operations on board, organize and train fire parties, be able to inspect and service fire detection and extinguishing equipment, and be able to conduct the initial investigation into a fire and compile an initial report. An Advanced Fire Fighting course must instill the knowledge, understanding and proficiencies for these core competencies.
It is important to note that these courses must emphasize firefighting management and coordination rather than fire suppression training, as is learned in Basic Fire Fighting. The Master or other person who may be placed in charge of commanding a fire response on board has a significant role and has to decide how and when to send the crew into a burning compartment. Do you have the skills, abilities and equipment on board to fight the fire? Can your crew make it into a smoke-filled compartment that may be on the verge of a flashover to rescue a downed crew member or guest? Is there time to fight the fire before you have to make the decision to abandon ship? Those are the decisions that a person must make when they are in command of the fire response and the skills that are mandated to be taught in an advanced firefighting course.
It’s dangerous to assume that fixed systems will put out a fire or that the brand-new fire turnout gear that has yet to be pulled out of the package will work. Knowledge of how fixed systems work, what their limitations are and how they are serviced is vital. The knowledge of how to inspect and service fire equipment and how to train the crew in how to use the fire equipment is equally vital.
Egos don’t put fires out; skilled, well-trained and well-equipped crew do. They need leadership and management to employ those skills and equipment put to the best use possible — all while keeping a vessel-wide view of the operation and impact on the overall safety of the vessel and those on board. A fire can double in size in 30 seconds and go from an incipient fire to a raging inferno in minutes; a rapid and effective response to a fire requires strong leadership and knowledge of how to deploy your resources to most effectively fight the fire and minimize the spread.
Masters and officers are mandated to take Advanced Fire Fighting as part of their license advancement training. Many choose to take additional training to expand their knowledge and implement it during the regular drills on board. Use these as a chance to further familiarize yourself with the equipment, procedures and fire team coordination.