Damage Control Systems and Equipment

Objectives

A. Know the 4 classes of fire and the firefighting agents, equipment, and procedures to extinguish each class.

B. Know the use of equipment, materials, and procedures for countering flooding.

C. Know the principles of operation of the fire main system.

D. Know the procedures, objectives and priorities in combating the progressive deterioration resulting from fire and underwater hull damage.

E. Know the various material conditions of readiness onboard ship.

General DC Actions

• Rig spaces for casualty• Establish primary & secondary boundaries• Fight and control casualty with appropriate

means• Localize casualty & stop flooding/extinguish

fire• Restore systems to operation• Ventilate the affected spaces if necessary

Flooding & Fire

• Must ensure restoration of vital services– Propulsion– Electrical power– Vital piping and machinery

• Must always keep safety in mind -> NEVER try to be a one person DC party!!!

Casualty/DC Reports• Initial report– What casualty is & what system– Where casualty is -> be specific

• Follow up report– Man in charge– Assistance required– Injured personnel– Damaged equipment– Status of casualty

• Keep DC Central informed!!! allows for proper organization of damage control efforts

“MAIDS”

“MAIDS”

Fires• Elements of the fire tetrahedron

• Classes of fires– Alfa: wood, paper (leaves ash)– Bravo: fuel, oil (flammable liquids)– Charlie: electrical– Delta: combustible metals (Mg, Na, Ti)

• Safety concerns: smoke, toxic gases, heat, explosion

Extinguishing Agents

• Alpha: water (firemain, sprinklers)– Removes heat

• Bravo: AFFF, PKP, HALON– Smothers fire

• Charlie: CO2 (portable, installed)– Displaces Oxygen

• Delta: water– Solid stream, fog– Jettison

Firefighting Equipment

• Firemain system– Receives water from sea & distributes to hoses

and sprinklers– Several types of construction• Single Main (small ships)• Horizontal Loop• Vertical Loop

• Sprinkler systems– Installed in magazines, turrets, weapons rooms– Can be manual or automatic

Firefighting Equipment• All-purpose nozzle– Solid stream– High-velocity fog– Low-velocity fog (rotate nozzle)

• Hoses– Standard• 50’ or 100’ lengths• 1.5” diameter

– Collapsible

Firefighting Equipment• Foam equipment– AFFF - Aqueous film-forming foam– Used for Class B (smothers fire)

• Portable extinguishers– CO2: Class C or small Class A/B– AFFF: Class A or B fires– PKP: Class B fires (dry chemicals)

Firefighting Equipment• Oxygen Breathing Apparatus (OBA)– Self-contained breathing protection– Generates its own oxygen– Provides 30-45 minutes of air/canister

• Emergency Air Breathing (EAB)• Breathing device that plugs into

ship’s air• Essentially unlimited air supply• Must unplug/replug each time you

move

• Emergency Exit Breathing Device (EEBD)• Self-contained• Provides 15 minutes of oxygen to

allow for escape

Firefighting Equipment• Naval Firefighting Thermal Imager

(NFTI)– Battery-powered thermal imaging

device– Provides “sight” in poor visibility

(smoke)– Provides indication of hot spots

• Fire Fighting Ensemble (FFE)– Flame/heat retardant– Full-body suit to prevent exposed skin– Worn in conjunction with OBA

Flooding• Can occur for a number of reasons– Missile / Torpedo hit– Damaged piping– Running aground

• Must not only stop flooding but also remove water that has entered ship– Drain system used– Portable submersible pumps used

• Repair leak & structural damage– Use shoring, wedge, shole, strongback etc.

Flooding Actions

• Identify flooding location• Stop / Limit flooding• Establish boundaries– Water tight bulkheads– Piping system

• Repair: shoring, patching, plugging• Dewater Spaces• Restore vital systems / equipment

Priority of Dewatering

• Spaces where damage cannot be repaired?• Stability (List / Trim)• Equipment:– P-250 pump– Electric submersible pump– Eductor

Safety Precautions During Damage Control Operations

• Flashburn• Electric Shock• Exploding Ordnance / Fuel• Heat Stress• Overcome by smoke / CO2

• Loss of lighting / Trip hazards

Material Conditions of Readiness• All doors, hatches, scuttles, etc.

classified and marked• Each material condition represents

a degree of tightness/security• Maximum closure cannot be

maintained at all times - why?• Three conditions of readiness -

what?

• X-ray (X)– Provides least protection– Set when ship not in danger of attack (well-

protected harbor)• Yoke (Y)– More protection– Set in unprotected harbor/after hours or normal

underway• Zebra (Z)– Maximum protection– Wartime or General Quarters (GQ)– Localize fire/flooding

Material Conditions of Readiness

X

Y

Z

Special Classifications• Circle X and Y:– Letter within black circle– May be opened without permission, but

must be closed after use• Circle Z: – Letter within red circle– May be opened during GQ for comfort of

the crew with CO permission – Guarded while open so they can be shut

immediately

Z

Y

X

Special Classifications• William (W):– Sea suction valves which serve vital systems

cooling water. Closed only to prevent further damage

• Circle W: – Letter within black circle– Ventilation fittings, which are normally open,

are closed when NBC attack is imminent • Dog Z: – Letter within black ‘D’– Closed during darken ship as well as General

Quarters

W

W

ZD

Questions?