6 Fire drills

  6.1 The PSCO may witness a fire drill carried out by the crew assigned to these duties on the muster list. After consultation with the master of the vessel, one or more specific locations of the ship may be selected for a simulated fire. A crew member may be sent to the location(s) and activate a fire alarm system or use other means to give alarm.

  6.2 At the location the PSCO can describe the fire indication to the crew member and observe how the report of fire is relayed to the bridge or damage control centre. At this point most ships will sound the crew alarm to summon the fire-fighting parties to their stations. The PSCO should observe the fire-fighting party arriving on the scene, breaking out their equipment and fighting the simulated fire. Team leaders should be giving orders as appropriate to their crews and passing the word back to the bridge or damage control centre on the conditions. The fire-fighting crews should be observed for proper donning and the use of their equipment. The PSCO should make sure that all the gear is complete. Merely mustering the crew with their gear is not acceptable. Crew response to personnel injuries can be checked by selecting a crew member as a simulated casualty. The PSCO should observe how the word is passed and the response of stretcher and medical teams. Handling a stretcher properly through narrow passageways, doors and stairways is difficult and takes practice.

  6.3 The drill should, as far as practicable, be conducted as if there were an actual emergency.

  6.4 Those crew members assigned to other duties related to a fire drill, such as the manning of the emergency generators, the CO₂ room, the sprinkler and emergency fire pumps, should also be involved in the drill. The PSCO may ask these crew members to explain their duties and if possible to demonstrate their familiarity.

  6.5 On passenger ships, special attention should be paid to the duties of those crew members assigned to the closing of manually operated doors and fire dampers. These closing devices should be operated by the responsible persons in the areas of the simulated fire(s) during the drill. Crew members not assigned to the fire-fighting teams are generally assigned to locations throughout the passenger accommodations to assist in passenger evacuation. These crew members should be asked to explain their duties and the meaning of the various emergency signals and asked to point out the two means of escape from the area, and where the passengers are to report. Crew members assigned to assist passengers should be able to communicate at least enough information to direct a passenger to the proper muster and embarkation stations.