WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board issued a safety alert urging better training and awareness for land-based firefighters who may battle fires aboard vessels in local ports.
After multiple investigations into firefighter deaths and injuries, the NTSB found that many crews lack familiarity with ship layouts and fire-protection systems, and often don’t know how to use the structural fire protection built into most commercial vessels.
In a statement, the NTSB offered actionable items for fire departments that serve ports to improve firefighter safety:
- 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 emergencies
- Learning from the circumstances of other in-port vessel fires to improve contingency planning
The alert cites three in-port vessel fires where land-based crews were injured due to inadequate marine training, including the 2023 Grande Costa D’Avorio tragedy in Newark.
A shoreside vehicle ignited on an interior garage deck. Amid heavy smoke, two firefighters became disoriented and died. Newark fireground commanders directed crews to attack inside a CO₂-protected zone after activation, venting the agent and admitting oxygen, which intensified the fire. The NTSB concluded Newark’s lack of vessel-fire training led to an ineffective response, the fatalities and a more severe blaze.
