The document describes a training exercise simulating a fire on the generator platform in the engine room of a ship. It provides a detailed log of events as the drill is conducted, including observations of the performance and actions taken by crew members like the cadet and junior engineer in responding to the fire. Notes from interviews with the cadet and junior engineer after the drill reveal gaps in their knowledge and experience with firefighting duties and equipment.

2. AEMTC © MARCH 2020
Scenario – Fire on the generator platform on Engine Room.
Location of the generators is on E/R ‘B’ Deck as shown in the
below plan:
E/R ‘A’ DECK
E/R ‘B’ DECK
E/R ‘C’ DECK
MAIN DECK
1ST
POOP DECK
2ND
POOP DECK
3RD
POOP DECK
4TH
POOP DECK
BRIDGE DECK
E/R ‘D’ DECK
E/R ‘E’ DECK
TASK 1
To conduct a drill simulating
as realistic a scenario as
possible
TASK 2
To assess the performance of
the Cadet and Junior Engineer
Discuss how
Task 1 will be
performed
Discuss how
Task 2 will be
performed
EXERCISE 5 – CONDUCTING &
ASSESSING TRAINING
2

3. EVENT LOG
3
The sequence of events is as follows:
1300 – 1330 all crew mustered on bridge (E/R in unmanned condition). The intention
to conduct a fire in engine room drill later in the day is conveyed to them. The following
criteria is explained:
 All crew must respond in accordance to the ship’s emergency response plan
 Crew should continue to work on their normal tasks until emergency alarm is sounded
 The time of sounding alarm would be known only to Master and Trainer
 Crew must respond as if it were an actual emergency
 Chief Engineer shall be in-charge of emergency response.
 All available firefighting equipment and actions must be considered for speedy
response and fire extinguishing. The consequences for fire spreading must be taken
into account to determine when to use which equipment
 Closing of vents / doors must be simulated and confirmed to C/E after ensuring that
closing devices are fully operable.

4. EVENT LOG
4
 Entry made into any area designated as a fire zone or having potential to be affected
by the fire, must take all precautions, wear expected protective equipment and carry
firefighting equipment. Means of communicating with firefighters inside the fire zone
must be maintained
 Any person found in a fire zone / hazardous zone not wearing / using appropriate
protective equipment would be treated as a casualty
 When SCBA alarm sounds, person wearing it must exit the fire zone immediately. If
person cannot make it out of fire zone prior to running out of air, the person would
be treated as a casualty
 Fire hose carried into fire zone by fire fighters must be charged with nozzle shut
 Seat of fire will be indicated by a torch kept inside a box
 Firefighting must continue till the fire fighters reach the box with charged firefighting
equipment and switch off the torch or the fire is extinguished using other means such
as CO2 system
Use of following equipment is demonstrated:
 SCBA
 EEBD

5. EVENT LOG
5
1330 – 1430 you take the electrician with you and make following preparations:
 Keep a dummy representing the electrician near the generators on E/R ‘C’ deck port
side
 Identify the switches that will switch off lights in E/R without affecting any running
machinery
 Cover glass of the beam guns (torches) used with the SCBA with chart paper to reduce
the beam to about 2-3 feet
 Prepare the ‘seat of fire’ by punching holes randomly into sides of a cardboard box
and placing a torch inside the box.
1530 Fire alarm sounded and commencement of drill. Immediately thereafter you and
electrician:
 Switch off E/R lights
 Switch on the torch in ‘seat of fire’ box
 Distribute duties between two of you. You observe happening in E/R while Electrician
monitors the activities outside so that notes can be compared at the end. You agree
to pay special attention to performance of the Cadet and Junior Engineer so that they
can be assessed for proficiency in accordance with their Training Record Book.

6. EVENT LOG
6
1530 – 1710 the following observations are made during the drill as per notes made by
you and electrician
(Timings are not in chronological order):
1531 - 1535 - Crew head count completed. Electrician is reported to be missing. C/E
takes charge of emergency response. Fire is reported to be on E/R ‘B’ deck near
Generators as indicated by the fire alarm panel.
1535 - 1538 - Commenced making preparations to enter E/R for firefighting, search
and rescue of electrician from the aft E/R casing entrance on main deck. Firefighting
team No. 1 comprising of 3rd Engineer and AB 1 is assisted by Deck Cadet and OS1 to
don the firefighting suit and SCBA. Emergency fire pump started. Fire hose on main deck
outside the E/R casing door is rigged by Bosun and OS2 for use by firefighting team in
fire zone. Junior Engineer is sent to close E/R vents and report upon completion. Plan is
to reach Generator on ‘B’ deck by using the companionway from E/R ‘A’ Deck. 2nd
Engineer and one oiler start emergency generator.

7. EVENT LOG
7
1538 -1542 – 1st set of firefighters entered into the engine room ‘A’ Deck without a
charged hose. You send them back with instructions to return with a charged hose. The
fire hydrant on main deck to which hose is connected is opened. The moment hose is
pressurized, the nozzle comes off. Desperate attempts are made by the firefighters to fit
the nozzle but it keeps coming off each time the hose is charged. Deck cadet is sent to
bring fresh set of hoses from the store. 2nd Officer informs life boats are ready for
launching. He and the crew assisting him arrive to provide support to Chief Officer for
medical and boundary cooling.
1542 – 1602 –The hose and nozzle is replaced. Firefighters enter E/R ‘A’ Deck but find it
difficult to move with charged fire hose and low beam of the torch. A Walkie- talkie is
carried by the lead firefighter. There is a lot of static on the chosen channel and speech
is not easy to understand. You ensure that the door from main deck to E/R casing is
kept open only to extent needed to allow the fire hose to move in. You notice the deck
cadet keeps entering the E/R to help pull the charged hose into the E/R casing so that
firefighter can move easily. Firefighters realize that the hose is not long enough to reach
all the way to the ‘A’ deck. They return to the main deck and ask team to connect
another length of hose. A second length of hose is connected. At the same time a
decision is taken to use this hose only to reach the hose located on E/R ‘A’ deck.
Thereafter they can charge the fire hose on E/R ‘A’ Deck and use that to continue

8. EVENT LOG
8
1602 – 1612 – The low air pressure alarm sounds on one of the firefighters. He ignores
it and continues to uncoil the fire hose. The second firefighter too does not notice this.
After a while, the alarm of the second firefighter also goes off. This time they both drop
the hose and return to the steering compartment leaving the charged hose behind. The
second firefighting team comprising of AB2 and Oiler 1 immediately starts to don their
SCBA assisted by the Deck Cadet and 2nd Officer. The Junior Engineer returns to inform
all vents secured. C/E informs Master that fire team 1 is inside the E/R but has not yet
found the fire or Electrician. Junior Engineer and Deck Cadet start to replace the empty
air bottles of SCBA removed by fire team 1.
1612 – 1630 – Second firefighting team makes entry. They follow the earlier hose to the
end and then look around for the second hose. Finding the second hose still not fully
uncoiled, they start to uncoil it. They then charge the hose by opening the hydrant. The
firehose nozzle leaks profusely despite being fully shut. The firefighters shut the hydrant
and try to fix the nozzle by turning it open/shut a few times. However, it continues to
leak. They carry the fire hose with leaking nozzle and move down the companionway to
E/R ’B’ Deck. They realize it is not long enough to reach the generators. The lead
firefighter indicates to the second firefighter to follow him. They drop the fire hose and
pick up a foam fire extinguisher from the nearby bulkhead and go looking for the
casualty and seat of fire. They find the box with the torch first, switch off the torch and

9. EVENT LOG
9
1630 – 1710 – The second firefighting team cannot find the dummy. The SCBA low
pressure alarm sounds for AB2 and he motions to Oiler 1 to exit the E/R. The C/E and
C/O decide to send Junior Engineer and Deck Cadet to locate the dummy, thereby giving
them an opportunity to learn search and rescue in an enclosed space. The trainees don
the firefighting suit and SCBA and enter the E/R. Keeping the fire hoses as reference,
they start to search for the dummy from “A” Deck downwards. After about 18 minutes of
entry, they find the dummy. They try to carry it up to E/R ‘A’ Deck but midway up the
companionway, their SCBA low pressure alarm sounds. They continue to struggle up the
companionway, finally reaching E/R ‘A’ Deck with the dummy. One after another, they
run out of air in SCBA. The trainees remove their mask and continue to carry the dummy
to main deck. Thereafter C/E informs Bridge that casualty has been removed. The drill is
called off at this stage.
Notes shared between you and Electrical officer on performance of Cadet and Junior
Engineer:
1. 1538-1542 - The Cadet brought hoses from the nearest fire hose box in the
accommodation instead of the store
2. 1542-1602 – The Deck Cadet was constantly being told by Chief Officer to enter the
E/R space and help the fire fighters with the charged hose.
3. 1542 – 1612 – The junior engineer tries out the engine room vents and finds it

10. EVENT LOG
10
Interview with Deck Cadet reveals:
• He is aware of the fire triangle, classes of fire and types of extinguishers on board the
ship
• He has never been part of a fire party
• He knows how to wear SCBA. It is his duty to charge the SCBA cylinders
• Fire drills conducted on the ship during his time primarily checked:
 If crew knew their duties as per muster list
 Trying out the emergency fire pump and emergency generator
 Showing crew the use of either the EEBD or SCBA or CO2 system
Interview with Junior Engineer reveals:
• He is aware of the fire triangle and classes of fire
• He is not aware of types of extinguishers on board the ship
• He has never been part of a fire party but has been shown how to wear SCBA
• It is his duty to check the SCBA compressor and ensure bottles can be charged
• The hyper mist system fitted in ER has not been checked in his time
• Fire drills conducted on the ship during his time primarily checked:
 If crew knew their duties as per muster list
 Trying out the emergency fire pump and emergency generator
 Demonstrating one or two fire fighting equipment