b'operationfollowingmaintenanceei-Maintenance of fire to avoid danger, especially when thether by the crew or the vendor hiredprotection systems vessel is underway.to do the work? How are lithium-ion batteries stowed and charged?If a fire does start, the crew must beCrew training requirements are very able to extinguish it during the earlywellestablishedintheregulations. In a recent Coast Guard report pre- stages before it overwhelms their capa- Part 199 (Subchapter W for passen-sentedtoseniorPVAleadershipinbilitiesandequipment.Thealterna- ger vessels 100 gross tons and above), May2025,firesafetydeficienciestive is to abandon the vessel, which hasPart122(SubchapterK)and185 ranked fourth in number of deficien- its own associated risks to passenger(Subchapter T) of Title 46 Code of cies issued by Coast Guard marine in- and crew. Federal Regulations contain require-spectors during annual vessel inspec- ments for crew training content, how tions. The top areas where deficienciesCREW TRAINING oftendrillsarerequiredtobecon-were noted include: Firesaboardvesselspresentuniqueducted,documentationoftraining, dangers that are not normally foundemergencyinstructions,andstationFirefighting equipment with shoreside exposures. One of thebills.Takentogethertheserequire-and appliances mostimportantaspectstoconsiderments form the foundation of a crew when planning for fire safety aboardtrainingandcompetencymanage- Fixed fire extinguishing installation aninspectedpassengervesselisthatmentprogramwithinacompany. the crew of the vessel is the fire de- However,foundationsaredesignedFire detection and alarms partment, at least initially. The pas- to be built upon, and it is the respon-sengers and crew do not normally havesibility of the vessel owner, operator, Fire pumps and its pipes the option to run away from the fireand master to assess risk, know vessel Operators can work with local fire departments to practice discharging portable fire extinguishers with burn pans or barrels. PHOTO: MITAGS49 NOVEMBER 2025'