FIREBOAT PRACTICES SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT blank page Fireboat Practices January 2008 San Francisco Fire Department 698—2nd Street San Francisco, CA 94107 Chief of Department Joanne Hayes-White Manual Revision Project Deputy Chief Gary P. Massetani Assistant Chief James A. Barden Assistant Deputy Chief Thomas A. Siragusa Captain Jose L. Velo Project Manager, Fireboat Practices Manual Lieutenant Thomas Doudiet Editor Firefighter Dawn D. DeWitt Published by: Division of Training 2310 Folsom Street San Francisco, CA Phone: (415) 970-2000 REVISED: January 2008 This manual is the sole property of the San Francisco Fire Department FOREWORD The goal of this manual is to establish standard operating practices as authorized by the Chief of Department and implemented by the Division of Training. The purpose of this manual is to provide all members with the essential information necessary to fulfill the duties of their positions, and to provide a standard text whereby company officers can: • Enforce standard drill guidelines authorized as a basis of operation for all companies. • Align company drills to standards as adopted by the Division of Training. • Maintain a high degree of proficiency, both personally and among their subordinates. All manuals shall be kept up to date so that all officers may use the material contained in the various manuals to meet the requirements of their responsibility. Conditions will develop in fire fighting situations where standard methods of operation will not be applicable. Therefore, nothing contained in these manuals shall be interpreted as an obstacle to the experience, initiative, and ingenuity of officers in overcoming the complexities that exist under actual fire ground conditions. To maintain the intent of standard guidelines and practices, no correction, modification, expansion, or other revision of this manual shall be made unless authorized by the Chief of Department. Suggestions for correction, modification or expansion of this manual shall be submitted to the Division of Training. Suggestions will be given due consideration, and if adopted, notice of their adoption and copies of the changes made will be made available to all members by the Division of Training. Joanne Hayes-White Chief of Department 1 blank page 2 Table of Contents SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION...........................................................................1.1 SECTION 2. SAN FRANCISCO FIREBOATS...................................................2.1 San Francisco Fireboat #1—Phoenix ..............................................................2.1 Specifications ..........................................................................................2.1 San Francisco FireBoat (#2)—Guardian..........................................................2.4 Specifications ..........................................................................................2.4 Foam Equipment .............................................................................................2.6 Carbon Dioxide Equipment ..............................................................................2.7 Safety Precautions and Limitations .........................................................2.8 Oxy-Acetylene Cutting Equipment ...................................................................2.9 Personal FLotation Devices.............................................................................2.10 Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)...................................................2.10 Other Equipment..............................................................................................2.11 McCulloch Portable Generator ................................................................2.11 Air Compressor .......................................................................................2.11 Grapnel & Grappling Hooks ....................................................................2.11 SECTION 3. FIREBOAT OPERATIONS ...........................................................3.1 Personnel.........................................................................................................3.1 Fireboat Communications................................................................................3.1 Seamanship & Firefighting...............................................................................3.3 Getting Under Way From Quarters .........................................................3.3 Getting Under Way From Pier or Ship Side.............................................3.4 Coming Alongside and Mooring ..............................................................3.4 Anchoring................................................................................................3.6 Fireboat Skiff....................................................................................................3.6 Knots & Hitches ...............................................................................................3.6 Navigation........................................................................................................3.7 Electronic Depth Sounders......................................................................3.7 Radar ......................................................................................................3.7 Steering...................................................................................................3.7 Depth of Water ........................................................................................3.8 Aircraft On the Water ..............................................................................3.8 Rules of the Road ...................................................................................3.8 Hose Leads......................................................................................................3.8 Utility Rope..............................................................................................3.9 Leading Hose Ashore..............................................................................3.9 Monitors...........................................................................................................3.9 SECTION 4. SHIP CONSTRUCTION................................................................4.1 Cargo Ships or Freighters................................................................................4.1 Holds & Decks.........................................................................................4.1 Access To Holds and Decks ...................................................................4.3 Engine and Boiler Rooms........................................................................4.4 Superstructures.......................................................................................4.5 i Passenger ships..............................................................................................4.6 Tankers ...........................................................................................................4.7 Refrigerator Ships............................................................................................4.8 SECTION 5. SHIPBOARD FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT...............................5.1 Fire Mains (Standpipes) ..................................................................................5.1 Automatic Sprinklers........................................................................................5.1 Fire Alarms and Automatic Fire Detectors.......................................................5.2 Steam Smothering Systems ............................................................................5.2 Carbon Dioxide (CO2) .....................................................................................5.3 Marine Halon 1301 System .............................................................................5.6 Foam Systems ................................................................................................5.7 Deck Foam Systems...............................................................................5.8 Inert Gas Systems for Tank Vessels.......................................................5.8 Dry Chemical Deck Systems ..................................................................5.8 SECTION 6. SHIP FIRES..................................................................................6.1 Training ...........................................................................................................6.1 Assistance Available To Incident Commander ................................................6.2 Fire Fighting Standards ...................................................................................6.2 Policy ......................................................................................................6.3 Accessibility ............................................................................................6.3 Life Hazard .............................................................................................6.4 Size-Up ...................................................................................................6.4 Hazardous Materials ...............................................................................6.5 Spread of Fire .........................................................................................6.7 Cargo Hold Fires.....................................................................................6.8 Fires in Machinery & Storage Spaces.....................................................6.10 Container Fire .........................................................................................6.13