This paper will describe and illuminate the experiences, procedures and methods from fighting real fires on‐board ships using the cutting extinguisher and its method.
Author: Anders Trewe, Cold Cut Systems Svenska AB
Presented at the 2016 MAST Confex in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Abstract
For the last 15 years, cutting extinguishers and the cutting extinguisher method have been used in thousands and yet thousands of fire interventions by municipal firefighters around the globe. The numbers of cutting extinguishers installed on ships are few in comparison to the numbers in use by the fire and rescue services. Adding the higher level of safety awareness on‐board naval vessels, compared to the general public, naval shipboard fires, and thus experience, tend to be scarce. It’s hard to find real cases.
However, in many areas, special units from municipal fire and rescue services, such as Maritime Intervention Response Groups and similar teams, are assigned to shipboard firefighting when vessels are near or alongside quays. These units are trained to fight fires on board ships and have great routine and experience in fighting fires, on‐board as well as on shore.
Cross discipline learning is crucial to reach high efficiency in introducing new technology and methods. This paper will describe and illuminate the experiences, procedures and methods from fighting real fires on‐board ships using the cutting extinguisher and its method. It will also conclude in lessons learned from the actual incidents.
