The most important point with regard to fire is to deal with it at the earliest stage possible before it has a chance of getting a good hold or spreading. The method usually adopted is to have a special fire party in each watch always told off, the party being changed as little as possible.

This party is formed from the various parts of the ship and so has a complete and intimate knowledge of the arrangements both for extinguishing, and for preventing the spread of the fire wherever it may be. It is advisable that the party should be selected from men who do not belong to any boats' crews and who can therefore be reasonably expected to be always in their watch on board.

As, however, a fire may assume large proportions and it is always safer to proceed to general fire stations, it is essential that this party should form a part of such general station, so that it may be augmented but not altered when the whole ship's company are assembled at their stations.

It is most important to close all ventilation and to see all fans shut off in the vicinity of the fire, it must also be remembered that leads for electric lights may get damaged and arrangements must, therefore, be made for a secondary method of lighting.

Magazines and spirit rooms can be flooded in the case of fire in the neighbourhood, whether the ship is afloat or in dry dock.

Article 1073, King's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions on the subject of fire should be known by every officer.

The watch bill lays down that the 1st part of the watches work between deck and the 2nd part work on deck, and that after the 2nd part have closed ventilation on deck their next station is " out boats."

Difference in ships and in their methods of organisation such as " two or three watch system," " four or three parts of the ship " render it impossible to give a detailed station for fire in this chapter. The fire and collision stations of a modern battleship-slightly generalised-are given as a guidance in making out stations and to show the more important points which have to be attended to. With the exception of the special stations, the details of the parties are omitted, but they are made out from the station bill of a ship which adopts the " three watch " and the " three parts of a ship " system.

A " fire party " is detailed in each watch, consisting of 1 P.O., 2 or 3 L.S. and about 20 hands, taken equally from each part of the ship.

The fire party is a standing party and men are only shifted as occasion necessitates. The upper deck party is assisted by a similar standing party detailed by the engine room and electrical departments.

Any man discovering a fire is to do his best to put it out at once and is to send a message to the O.O.W. immediately by any other man who is present.

The O.O.W. is to go straight to the fire, at the same time sending messages to the commanding officer, the engineer's office, torpedo office, engine room and switchboard room.

The fire party bugle is to be sounded for the watch required, followed by a pipe indicating the position of the fire.

NOTE.-The fire bell is only to be rung by order of the commanding officer.

Stations.

When the fire party bugle is sounded, the fire party of the watch indicated is to go to the fire immediately and

Rig the necessary hoses.

Close all ventilation in the immediate vicinity.

Provide fire buckets and fire extinguishers from the place where they are stowed.

Special Stations. 

Torpedo Party.

 Engine Room Department.

The 2nd engineer officer of the day (in harbour) or the E.O. longest off watch (at sea) will draw the keys of the flooding cabinets and report to the commanding officer at the fire. Two E.R.As. are detailed for magazine flooding.

The 1st E.O. of the day (in harbour) or the E.O. of the watch at sea will wait for orders at the engineer's office or the centre engine room.

The stoker's fire party will fall in the position detailed and await orders.

The leading stoker of the pumping party and the duty stoker assisted by the E.R. electrical party will start the two duty pumps and attend them. The chief stoker and stoker P.O. of the double bottom party will see that the motor pumps are correct and that the fire main system is opened out throughout the ship, and will then report to the E.O. on duty.

The stoker P.O.'s on watch (at sea) or the stoker P.O.'s of " A," " B " and " C " boiler rooms (in harbour) will get the fire and bilge pumps ready.

The duty storekeeper will report at the ready use store.

Ratings are detailed to attend petrol and paraffin tanks and cockers.

General Fire Stations.

If the fire assumes serious proportions, the commanding officer will give orders to ring the fire bell.

If the fire bell is rung, the fire parties of all watches will proceed to the fire.

Divisions will then be sounded and the remainder of all watches will fall in.

When mooring a target, arrangements should be made to allow the moorings being easily grappled and the target cast off when the mooring has to be weighed.

This may be done either by securing the target to a buoy and mooring the latter (Fig. 10), or attaching a tripping line to the moorings as shown in Fig. 11.

To be continued....

^ back to top ^