Firefighters in Immingham, North East Lincolnshire, are currently in the process of undergoing intensive training to better equip themselves for the unusual but grave circumstance of onboard ship fires. These incidents come with a set of distinctive difficulties as compared to customary domestic incidents. The training is being conducted in a particularly designed facility made up of stacked shipping containers that simulate the internal layout of an actual ship, including watertight doors and substantial metal hatches.
A major fire that took place in Hull’s Albert Dock in June in the cargo hold of a ship is seen as a bleak reminder of the potential risks. The city was completely engulfed in thick and dense smoke. Such incidents only emphasise the indispensable work that is taking place in Immingham, where the teams from Humberside Fire and Rescue are ensuring they are prepared to deal with maritime emergencies.
Trainer Gary O’Hara highlighted the complications of extinguishing fires at sea, drawing attention to the extreme heat within the metal structure of a ship. Firefighters have to grapple with zero visibility and manoeuvre through narrow hallways with weighty hoses, which makes the task almost equivalent to “crawling in an oven”. Considering that Humber port manages 15% of the UK’s ship traffic, this training is of utmost importance.
Station Manager Glyn Dixon stressed on the erratic nature of maritime firefighting owing to the unique blueprints of each ship and Crew Manager Carl Carter termed it as one of the most perilous tasks for firefighters. Despite the fact that such fires occur very seldom, the high risk they bring along demands thorough and specialised training.
This article is based on original reporting by www.bbc.com.
