DAMAGE CONTROL LOCKERS

In-Port Emergency Team (IET) In-port emergency teams are made up of duty section personnel. IET members are emergency team member qualified and stand ready to respond to any type of casualty. At times, it may be necessary to provide additional personnel and material support to the IET. These additional personnel come from a pool of excess duty personnel and assemble at a designated location. They can assist in setting fire or flooding boundaries and are available to back up the primary IET, if needed. Rescue and Assistance (In Port/At Sea) All ships are required to have a rescue and assistance detail in port and at sea. The primary missions of this detail are to rescue personnel at sea, assist another unit in distress, and assist persons or activities in distress ashore. All personnel assigned to the rescue and assistance detail must, as a minimum, be qualified as an emergency team member and in first aid. Rapid Response Team When in port or under way, each ship has a designated rapid response team. This team proceeds directly to the scene when a fire or flooding is called away. The team attempts to quickly extinguish or contain the fire or minimize or stop a flooding. At a minimum, this team is made up of four personnel qualified as fire team members and the ship’s fire marshal. Because immediate response is required, protective clothing or OBAs aren’t donned. If they are unable to gain control of the casualty within a preset time frame, a full IET or GQ team relieves them and takes over. General Quarters (GQ) General quarters is an all hands evolution. It is the highest state of readiness of the ship, and all repair lockers are manned and fully equipped to combat casualties. When responding to GQ, all hands adjust their clothing to battle dress and proceed to their GQ stations. Battle dress—Bottom of pants tucked into boots or socks, long sleeves pulled down and buttoned, top button on shirt buttoned, and flash hood and gloves donned. All exposed skin covered. GQ route—Move forward in passageways and up ladders on starboard side, move aft in passageways and down ladders on port side. Since all hands will be moving at the same time, you have to move with the flow of traffic. DAMAGE CONTROL LOCKERS The equipment and materials required for making battle damage repairs vary according to the nature of the damage. Since many different kinds of damage can occur aboard ship, you must know how to use a variety of equipment and materials. Checks should be made to see that all damage control equipment tools and materials on the allowance list are actually on board and in working order. Comparing the ship’s allowance list with an accurate and up-to-date inventory of onboard damage control equipment does that. Damage control equipment should be stowed or installed in its designated location and be readily accessible. Emergencies can be handled much more effectively if equipment is available than if you have to waste time looking for it. Damage control equipment must not be used for any purpose other than damage control. Because damage control equipment is located throughout the ship, some people are tempted to use it merely because it is handy. That must not be allowed. It is important to make all hands realize their lives may literally depend on the ready availability of damage control equipment if an emergency should arise. REVIEW 2 QUESTIONS Q1. When does the battle phase of damage control start? 12-8 Student Notes: