Fire onboard — onboard response

Fire is the most time-critical shipboard emergency. The first two minutes determine whether a contained fire becomes a ship-loss. This decision tree follows SOLAS Chapter II-2, the IMO Fire Safety Systems (FSS) Code, and ISM Code Element 8. The ship's Fire Control Plan is the authoritative document for your specific vessel layout.

Discovery and alarm

1. On discovering smoke or fire: activate the nearest manual call point (break-glass unit). Do not delay to investigate first — the alarm summons trained crew with equipment.
2. Report the location on the ship's telephone or portable VHF: "Fire — [exact location: deck number, frame number, compartment name]." Bridge must know the precise location to direct the response.
3. Bridge sounds continuous fire alarm on the ship's general alarm (seven short blasts + one long blast per SOLAS Reg III/6). PA announcement: "Fire fire fire — [location] — all hands to fire stations."
4. All crew muster at their designated fire stations per the Muster List (Fire Control Plan). Crew not assigned to the attack team stand by at secondary muster stations and maintain communication with the bridge.
5. Officer of the Watch takes the conn; Master proceeds to bridge; Chief Officer takes charge of fire-fighting operations at the scene unless the Master directs otherwise.

First-attack team actions

1. Fire attack team: minimum two crew in full fireman's outfit (SCBA, fire-resistant suit, gloves, boots, helmet, torch, axe) per SOLAS Reg II-2/10 and FSS Code Chapter 3. Never enter a smoke-filled compartment without SCBA.
2. Take a charged hose reel or main hose to the compartment boundary before opening the door. Check the door for heat with the back of the hand — if hot, do not open; the fire is oxygen-starved and may flashover on door opening.
3. If the door is cool: open slowly from the hinge side, crouch low, direct water at the base of the fire (Class A) or at the boundary surfaces (Class B: spray pattern only — never jet onto fuel fires).
4. Fire attack must work in pairs. The No.1 (nozzleman) attacks; No.2 (hoseman) controls the hose run and maintains the communication line to the boundary team.
5. Start boundary cooling simultaneously: a second team applies water to bulkheads and decks adjacent to the fire space at the earliest opportunity. SOLAS Reg II-2/10.2 and FSS Code requirements apply.
6. Start both main fire pumps. If main power is lost or main fire pump fails: start the emergency fire pump from its dedicated station (independent of main switchboard — SOLAS Reg II-2/10.2.2.3). Confirm pressure on the fire main at the hydrant nearest the fire.

CO2 fixed system release — engine room

1. Stop all machinery in the engine room — main engine, generators (switch to emergency generator), pumps, boiler fans. Stop all ventilation to the space.
2. Close all boundaries: fire dampers in ventilation ducts, engine room doors (fire-rated, self-closing), skylight, funnel flaps, and any openings to the space. Confirm each closure — do not assume.
3. Headcount: Chief Engineer confirms in person that all engine-room crew are mustered outside and accounted for. Report to Master: "Engine room clear — all personnel accounted for."
4. Activate pre-discharge alarm: the CO2 control cabinet pre-discharge alarm must sound in the engine room for the required period (minimum 20 seconds, FSS Code Chapter 5.2) to warn of any person who may be inside despite the headcount.
5. Master's release order: the Master gives a verbal order to release. The CO2 release key or pull-handle is operated by a nominated officer only. Operate the pilot cylinder first (if fitted) then the main bank valve. Record exact release time.
6. After CO2 release: do not re-enter the space for at least 24 hours without confirmation that the fire is out (via thermal imaging through an inspection port or temperature gauging) and the space has been ventilated and tested oxygen-safe by a calibrated detector (minimum 19.5% O2 before entry — SOLAS Reg II-2/4).
7. Foam or water-mist alternatives: if the space is fitted with a fixed high-expansion foam or water-mist system instead of CO2, follow the maker's system operating instruction on the control cabinet. Principles are the same: stop machinery, close boundaries, confirm headcount, activate.

Bridge communications and external notifications

1. If fire is not controlled within 20 minutes: transmit PAN PAN urgency message on VHF Ch 16 and DSC Ch 70, reporting position, nature of emergency, number of persons on board. Be ready to upgrade to MAYDAY if the ship is in grave and imminent danger.
2. Notify the DPA by telephone or Inmarsat within the first hour of a confirmed fire. DPA must be informed of the fire location, extent of control measures taken, and whether external assistance is needed.
3. Notify the flag-state administration by the required method (usually Inmarsat or email to the flag registry) as soon as practicable. Most flag-state codes require notification of any fire regardless of outcome.
4. Contact the P&I Club to open a casualty file if structural damage, cargo damage, or personal injury has occurred. P&I will appoint a surveyor at the next port.

After the incident

1. Write the incident log within 24 hours: fire discovery time, alarm time, location, cause (if known), actions taken, CO2 or extinguishing system used, time fire confirmed out, casualties, damage.
2. Notify MAIB or the national marine accident investigation authority within 24 hours if the fire caused injury, death, significant structural damage, or loss of main propulsion. Most flag states have equivalent requirements.
3. Preserve all evidence: fire detection panel printout, CCTV footage, damaged equipment. Do not remove or clean until surveyor has inspected.
4. Review MARPOL Annex VI compliance: if fire caused abnormal combustion gases (black smoke) in an ECA, record in the engine log. Uncontrolled burning may require a flag-state waiver notification under MARPOL Annex VI Reg 3.2.
5. Review ISM Code Element 8 drill frequency. The SMS must be updated if any procedural gap contributed to the fire or delayed response.

Sources: SOLAS Consolidated Edition 2020, Chapter II-2 (Construction — fire protection, detection and extinction), especially Regulation 10 (fire-fighting); IMO Fire Safety Systems (FSS) Code (Resolution MSC.98(73)), Chapters 3, 5; ISM Code (Resolution A.741(18) as amended), Element 8 (emergency preparedness); MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 3.2 (exceptions for safety and preventing pollution). See also fixed CO2 system, SCBA, and SOLAS Chapter II-2 fire safety.