ships so equipped. This alarm is sounded when there has
been a CBR attack on or in the vicinity of the ship. All
hands must exercise protective measures and
procedures to reduce exposure and personnel injuries.
General Alarm
The general alarm signal is sounded by the OOD to
notify the crew of a battle condition (GQ). Immediately
after the alarm is sounded, some ships pass the word,
“General quarters, general quarters, all hands man their
battle stations.” All hands report to preassigned stations
following the correct GQ traffic routes and set material
condition ZEBRA.
Flight Crash Alarm
The flight crash alarm is sounded by the OOD or
PreFly to notify ship’s company of a pending or actual
flight deck emergency.
MESSENGERS
Messengers are used to deliver written messages
between repair lockers and DCC as a matter of record. If
all methods of communications have failed, messengers
are used to relay orders and information. Messengers
deliver messages between repair lockers and DCC,
between DCC and the bridge, or between other
locations. Messengers should be familiar with the ship
to get from one place to the other without delay.
Messengers must be able to deliver oral messages
without error.
REVIEW 3 QUESTIONS
Q1. The X40J circuit is commonly referred to as
what kind of line?
Q2. List the names of the alarms that can override the
microphone control of the 1MC.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Q3. When all communications systems fail, how are
messages and orders relayed between repair
lockers and DCC?
SHIP’S INTEGRITY THROUGH
SUBDIVISION
Learning Objective: When you finish this chapter, you
will be able to—
Identify material conditions of readiness and
recognize their purpose.
Naval ships are subdivided into many small
watertight rooms or as we say watertight compartments.
This breaking up process of a very large area is called
the “compartmentation process.” It limits the spread of
toxic or noxious gases, fire and flooding, and other
battle damage when it occurs. This system when
combined with material conditions of readiness
(discussed below) increases a ship’s ability to survive.
Each space or compartment on a ship is accessed
through a door to a new space or passageway connecting
other spaces on the same deck or to the weather deck
area (outside). The space may have a hatch or scuttle
that allows transit from one deck to another via a ladder.
In some spaces you may have many doors, hatches, and
scuttles. These accesses are either watertight, airtight,
fumetight, oiltight, or nontight by design.
Piping and ventilation systems work on the same
concept as compartment access fittings. They have
valves at strategic points that will isolate sections of a
system, limiting the spread of damage to smaller areas.
Because of all the fittings and closures that are on a ship,
you might be asking yourself the question, “How will I
know which ones to close or leave open and when to do
it?” Those answers are covered in the paragraphs to
follow.
12-10
Student Notes:
