Fire prevention is an inevitable activity in naval vessels and all marine vessels. It simply entails putting in place measures that are intended to put a stop to any fire incidence. It is with no doubt that, in case of a fire break, the damage caused by fire in these vessels can be severe taking in to consideration the fact that there is nowhere to move goods for safety or personnel on board. (Diamantes, 2010)
The vessels also have engines and oils which can support burning. Besides these equipments, there are also military equipments which when fired can support fire (Klinoff, 2012). This therefore calls for installation of highly effective fire fighting systems in these vessels which are aimed at preventing fire.
Damage control plays a major role in fire prevention as it means the responsibility of each and every personnel on board from the commanding officer to the new recruits. (Klinoff, 2012) With proper damage control, shipmates will be protected and incidences of ship sinking are reduced. Some of the measures taken under damage control are to lock the damaged areas from unharmed and wedging a box around to block the damaged areas
Action stations are another method used in marine vessels to prevent fire. It involves signalling the personnel of a warship so that they can manage to combat hostile attackers. The alarm acts as preventive measure especially where it alerts in case of submarine attacks. Naval vessels are installed by these action stations to minimise attacks which can cause fire.
Aerosol fire suppression systems are very common in almost all marine vessels. Installation of this system is quite cheap because it does not require pipe work or nozzles. (Diamantes, 2010) These fire extinguishers are usually situated directly on or in the protected risk such as machinery spaces on the gears or on the hot spots of the vessel.
Aerosol suppression is different from gases protection because unlike gas, it remains in suspension up to an hour later. This extension provides security for any re-ignition that might follow. This system is very efficient and at the same time installation fee is reasonably low. Unlike halon gases, it is considered to be environmental friendly. (Diamantes, 2010) Naval vessels prefer this system because of the effective performance, ease of installation and occupying of small space as well as less weight.
Naval ships technical manual is another guidance provided aimed at minimising losses in marine vessels. (Klinoff, 2012) It guides shipmen on how to tackle cases when they arise in the vessels. Among other areas it also guides on how to prevent fire
Wet chemical fire suppression systems are also very common in marine vessels. They involve use of defence technology gas generators. (Klinoff, 2012) Just like aerosol fire suppression system, they are also placed around the risky areas for easier control and flexibility. Fire fighting through wet chemical fire suppression systems is considered environmental friendly. (Diamantes, 2010) This is because there are no emissions of gases that deplete the ozone layer or that can cause global warming.
Another fire fighting gadget installed in navy vessels is carbon dioxide fire extinguisher. This is operated manually whenever fire is detected. Carbon dioxide is filled in these tubes under very high pressure. (Klinoff, 2012) It extinguishes fire by forming a blanket-like substance on top of it, this blanket is white in colour and it eventually extinguishes the fire. It is very effective when the fire being dealt with hasn’t spread at a large area.
Besides fire fighting equipments installed in the naval vessels, there are also fire alarms that are aimed at alerting everyone on board about a fire break. (Diamantes, 2010) The alarms help to gather everyone at fire points as well as taking the necessary measures so as to put off the fire threat.
Smoke detector also plays a huge role in fire prevention. Smoke is an indication of fire and when it is followed, it will definitely lead to the source of the fire. (Klinoff, 2012) In current times navy vessels and all marine vessels in general are installed with smoke detectors. This act as a preventive measure of the spread of fire since the moment the smoke is detected; actions to deal with the fire are put in place to fight it.
In conclusion, it is with no doubt that fire prevention is vital in all areas because unwanted fire causes severe damage. Prevention of fire is important than fighting it. When effective measures are put in place, then the exercise of fighting fire which is not friendly one is highly minimized. Damage control, action stations, aerosol fire suppression systems, wet chemicals, naval ships technical manual, fire alarms and smoke detectors and are good ways of preventing fire and all naval vessels should install them in order to fight fire in case of a fire incidence.
Works cited
Klinoff, Robert W. Introduction to Fire Protection. Clifton Park, N.Y: Delmar/Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.
Diamantes, David. Principles of Fire Prevention. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar/Thomson Learning, 2010. Print.
