Table 7-2.—At-Sea Fire Party
AT-SEA FIRE PARTY
Commanding officers may organize an at- sea
fire party either as a standing organization or as
part of a special detail. As an on-scene leader you
may be placed in charge of the at-sea fire party.
The at-sea fire party may be formed intact as a
repair party or unit or may be composed of
members of the various repair parties. A standing
at-sea fire party will respond to all fires occurring
at sea except when the ship is already at general
quarters. If the at-sea fire party is at the scene of
a fire when general quarters is sounded, it will
remain at the scene until relieved. The purpose
of the at-sea fire party is to
respond immediately to fire alarms when
repair parties are not manned,
extinguish small fires effectively without
disrupting other ships’ operations, and
control fire until ongoing sensitive critical
evolutions can be terminated and general
quarters stations can be manned and
ready.
At-sea fire parties will normally consist of the
personnel shown in table 7-2. Variations are
authorized if required by the needs of a particular
ship. The DCA is responsible for the organization
and training of the at-sea fire party.
When the fire alarm is sounded, the at-sea fire
party will proceed from the closest repair locker
to the scene of the fire. Scene leaders will wear
a steel helmet painted red and marked front and
back with l-inch black lettering identifying the
repair party (II, III, etc.). The lower circum-
ference of the helmet will have three 1-inch
horizontal stripes of reflective tape in white,
red, white. No other member of a repair, damage
control, or rescue and assistance party will wear
a similarly marked helmet or one that could be
mistaken for a scene leader.
INVESTIGATING DAMAGE
As an on-scene leader you should be qualified
as an investigator. Four principles of investiga-
tion should be considered in your investigation
of damage:
1. An investigation must be thorough.
2. It must be conducted with caution.
3. Results must be reported clearly and
quickly.
4. Investigations must be repeated.
Ships have been lost and others have suffered
unnecessary damage because investigating person-
nel have neglected one or more of these four
principles.
Investigation Teams
Each repair locker and unit has at least four
investigators, with OBA tenders organized into
two-man teams and assigned specific areas for
investigation. If an area has extensive damage,
form additional teams. Equip each investigator
with an OBA. An investigator’s kit containing a
sounding tape and deck drain wrench is provided
by the OBA tender. If an investigator must enter
a space alone, the OBA tender must man a
tendering line secured to the D ring on the back
of the investigator’s OBA.
Initial/Rapid Survey
Initial indications should be recognized and
evaluated quickly to give DCC an accurate
estimate of the extent of damage. Investigate
symptoms of dangerous conditions, such as a
minor loss of power, a wisp of smoke, dropping
pressure, or excessive warmth of a bulkhead, and
take prompt corrective action. You should also
provide details on casualties that interfere with
repairing or limiting damage, such as absence of
light or ventilation and the presence of smoke,
flammable liquids, wreckage, or loose stores.
7-8
