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Small Boat and Marina Fires

Almost every area in the country will have a marina or some body of water on which pleasure craft pass. Fires on a pleasure craft, whether underway or in a marina, will pose special challenges and hazards to the Land Based Firefighter. How will you get to this boat on fire? Should you get to the boat on fire?

This seminar will view videos and examine case studies of actual marina fires to determine what could have been done differently and what tactics proved worthwhile. We will look at features found in all marinas which could either help you or hurt you during a fire operation.

We will also look at individual boat fires both while the boat is underway and while at anchor. Next we will discuss the tactics needed to safely handle these incidents. Finally, you will get to see portable fire pumps and small Fireboats. We will discuss how they are equipped and operated.

Next apply some "hands on" experience as we walk through a local marina. We will see the safety information and the pre-fire-plan information that had been brought out during the lecture segment. And we will see it at a marina you would respond to. Any training is better when it is reinforced with a "hands-on" experience. (Full day) email MarineFires@aol.com

Small Fireboat Operations at Fires and Emergencies

This classroom seminar is designed to address some of the hazards and operating techniques of handling a small fireboat responding to and operating at marine fires and emergencies. This seminar will also discuss some of the "tricks of the trade" that can help you handle your fireboat in common tasks as well as in emergency situations. It is NOT designed as a basic boating class and it would be expected that anyone taking this seminar had already received some training in basic boating or would have some previous boating experience.

Types of boats and hull configurations can effect the operations of your boat. Holding your boat "on station" while pumping from 200 to 5,000 gallons per minute can be very challenging as well as dangerous. Operating you Fireboat near large ships needs knowledge and understanding of what those ships can do. Towing a disabled boat may pose problems that you never considered. How many lines (ropes) will be needed. You need some for docking your own boat but what about towing, dive operations, and other emergency situations.

Your Fire Department has done the right thing in providing a Fireboat. However, without the information on how to handle this valuable tool, it can quickly become a danger to your Firefighters as well as the people you are supposed to protect..

(e-mail for details)

Commercial Fishing Boat Fires

--Every major port has a fleet of these important workhorses of the sea bringing your lobster or scallops for dinner. These boats are out there most days catching fish. But they can catch something else. They can catch FIRE. If they are at or near a dock when the fire starts, your land based fire department will be called in. Do your members know the many dangers aboard these vessels? Will this response be their first contact with this type of vessel? Are you aware that the same stability problems which account for many crew fatalities at sea will now be your problem? Are you ready? This presentation will also examine a CO2 operation at past fire aboard a fish processing vessel that had no fixed CO2 system! Approx. time 2-3 hours or full-day with a hands-on visit to a commercial fishing boat in your area

-----Photo right by ----> Kelly Fitzpatrick -

Email MarineFires@aol.com

Click here or on the photo on left to see photos and read details of a recent full-day "Commercial Fishing Boat Seminar".

Ship Collision and Fire

June 16, 1966 would be a day the New York City Fire Department's Marine Division would never forget. The tanker Alva Cape, with 5,579,000 gallons of naphtha aboard, collided with the tanker Texaco Massachusetts, which had just unloaded her cargo of gasoline. The resulting explosion and fire would eventually snuff out the lives of 33 mariners and injure 64 others. Dramatic photos combined with an informative lecture of the fire and its aftermath are displayed in this multimedia presentation. Every port and commercial waterway has some form of tanker from oceangoing tank ships to fuel barges. Even tug boats carry as much as 100,000 gallons of fuel for their own consumption. Combine this compelling presentation with the Tanker Familiarization presentation for a 2-3 hour mini seminar. Email MarineFires@aol.com

Dry Dock Fire

Fires involving ships in dry dock present the fire service with an extremely difficult task. This ship is considered a "Dead Ship" because it will have all of its systems non-operational. The vessels own fire pumps operate by sucking water from under the ship but there will be no water under this ship. Hopefully your Firefighters have already had our "Shipboard Firefighting semimar, but this will be different. No ships water and no ships power to operate watertight doors and ventalation.

This multimedia presentation uses color photos of the March 20, 1998 fire in the bridge of the 300' research vessel "Ronald H. Brown", that was undergoing repairs in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York City. It is presented along with an informative lecture on the problems encountered.

Combine with any familiarization presentation for a 2-3 hour mini-seminar. MarineFires@aol.com

Dinner Cruise Ship Fire Drill

The motor vessel, The Spirit of New York is underway in New York's Hudson River with 65 passengers. Fire is discovered in the galley area, which quickly spreads to the engine room thereby disabling the ships power and ability to maneuver. The vessel's Master has called for help and has dropped anchor in midstream.

This was the scenario for an interagency drill in New York Harbor. Not everything went according to plan. But that's the purpose of having drills. I love when things go wrong at a drill because, Thats the time to learn!

How would you evacuate the passengers. Should you evacuate the passengers. Who's in charge? And where can you find help. Here we combine lecture, color photos and animation's to create an entertaining as well as informative presentation. 3-hour mini-seminar.