NTSB Issues Safety Alert Following Ship Fire Investigations

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a safety alert Wednesday following ship fires that have claimed and injured firefighters.

Following several probes, investigators determined that land-based firefighters often lack the necessary training and familiarity with vessel layouts and fire protection systems to effectively fight in-port vessel fires. They also may be unaware of how to use the structural fire protection built into most commercial vessels.

Newark Firefighters Augusto 'Augie' Acabou, 45, and Wayne 'Bear' Brooks Jr., 49, were killed in 2023 battling a fire aboard a cargo ship.

After an extensive probe, the NTSB blasted the fire department and the city for not properly training firefighters on how to battle fires aboard ships.

Bart Barnum, the lead investigator for the NTSB, said neither man should have been there.

“You have to be properly trained when you respond to marine fires. If they had been, they never would have gone inside,” he told the board during a hearing. 

NTSB investigators wrote: "Newark Fire Division leadership directed the firefighters to actively engage the fire in the fire protection zone where the carbon dioxide gas extinguishing system had already been activated, which allowed more carbon dioxide out and more oxygen in, increasing the severity of the fire. The NTSB found the Newark Fire Division’s lack of marine vessel firefighting training resulted in an ineffective response, led to the firefighter casualties, and contributed to the severity of the fire."

Likewise, NIOSH investigators determined lack of training, pre-planning for vessel fires and coordination issues contributed to the deaths of the firefighters.

The NTSB alert suggests:

• Developing training plans to ensure all firefighters understand how to fight vessel fires, including the resources needed, the best tactics, strategies and methods for communicating while on a vessel and with vessel crew, and vessel layouts.
• Identifying supplemental training areas and developing a training plan and operational procedures in reference to National Fire Protection Association publication 1405: Guide for Land-Based Fire Departments that Respond to Marine Vessel Fires, and NFPA 1010: Standard on Professional Qualifications for Firefighters (formerly NFPA 1005: Standards for Professional Qualifications for Marine Fire Fighting for Land- Based Fire Fighters)
• Working in advance with local ports to organize vessel familiarization tours and to coordinate vessel firefighting response preparedness and training in conjunction with the drills and exercises required for certain vessels
• Coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard on standard operating procedures during emergenciesLearning from the circumstances of other in-port vessel fires to improve contingency planning