Shipboard Contingency Plan
Amendment: 0 Issue: 1
Fire In The Steering Gear Room
INITIAL ACTION (BY PERSON DETECTING THE FIRE):
Activate the closest emergency alarm.
Rescue any person in danger.
If possible, fight fire with portable fire extinguisher.
If unable to extinguish the fire, withdraw, close compartment door and all other
accesses, cut of electric supply and immediately go to Emergency Station.
Command Team
1. Muster on bridge.
2. Check main fire detection system cabinet and hold fire detection system panel
for location of fire. Raise GENERAL EMERGENCY ALARM signal.
3. If location of fire has been reported to the bridge by ships personnel, raise
GENERAL EMERGENCY ALARM signal.
4. Announce location of fire on the PA system.
5. Engage hand steering.
6. Check traffic condition and change course so that smoke from the fire blows
away from the accommodation. Consider stopping engines and raise NUC
signal.
7. Start fire pump.
8. After receiving muster reports from Emergency team, Back up team and
Engine-room team;
Order Engine room exhaust and supply fans to be shut and vents closed.
(Engine-room team).
Order Fire suits and SCBA sets to be donned by two personnel to make
entry into the Engine-room. (Emergency team).
9. Consider broadcasting urgency / distress message to all ships.
10. Log down details of reports from all teams. Also include vessels position,
weather and engine movements at regular intervals.
11. Shipboard Emergency Response System (SERS) to be prepared on bridge to
send to Management office. Call DPA and inform him of the emergency.
Emergency Team – General Actions
On hearing the Fire Alarm or General Emergency Alarm;
1. Muster in the Ship’s Office carrying lifejackets and full working gear.
2. Take roll call / head count and report to Command team. Do not waste time
waiting for a person – he may be in the space on fire. Report to Command team
about ‘person missing’ and prepare to tackle the emergency at hand.
3. Ascertain location of fire from bridge reports. Second Engineer will be In-charge
of Emergency team .
4. Prepare two persons in Fire suits and SCBA sets for tackling the fire. (For fire in
the Engine-room, the two persons should be Wiper and AB).The fire fighters
must be aware of the presence of various chemicals,Oil and Gas bottles
kept in steering gear room.
5. Report SCBA pressures and name / rank of personnel donning the sets to the
Command team.
BRIDGE – SHIP OFFICE Page 1
Shipboard Contingency Plan
Amendment: 0 Issue: 1
6. Other persons in Emergency team to carry fire axe’s, portable lamps, safety
line, spare SCBA set, crow bar and portable fire extinguisher.
7. Report to bridge when personnel are making entry into Steering Gear-room.
8. Ensure safety lines are attached to personnel entering.
9. Firemen to enter with extreme caution and their activity to be reported to
Emergency team in-charge at regular intervals who will relay same to Command
team.
10. After fire has been extinguished, maintain fire watch for re-ignition. Person
maintaining fire watch to be a different person from those who have fought the
fire and to be equipped with SCBA and portable fire extinguisher.
11. Assist Engine-room team.
Engine-room Team – General Actions
On hearing the Fire Alarm or General Emergency Alarm;
1. Muster in the Engine control room carrying lifejackets and wearing full working
gear.
2. Take roll call / head count and report to Command team.
3. Check fire pump has been started. If not, start fire pump.
4. Take orders from Command team regarding engine maneuvering or stopping
engines.
5. Follow procedures for tackling fire as follows in conjunction with Emergency
Team.
Back Up Team
On hearing the Fire Alarm or General Emergency Alarm;
1. Muster in the Ship’s Office carrying lifejackets and wearing full working gear.
2. Take roll call / head count and report to Command team. Do not waste time
waiting for a person – he may be in the space on fire. Report to Command team
about ‘person missing’ and prepare to tackle the emergency at hand.
3. Oxygen resuscitator, stretcher and first aid kit to be kept ready and standing by.
4. Assist Emergency team as required.
5. Report to Command team after carrying out each of the above.
In all cases of fire, initial response is critical. Action taken instantly to
extinguish the fire using portable extinguishers will help in containing the
fire and will not allow the fire to grow out of proportion and result in a large
fire.
BRIDGE – SHIP OFFICE Page 2
