Fire on dive boat Conception in CA

[rjack321]

Yes the stand alone alarm minimum requirement for a vessel of this size and stated purpose surprised me as well. I would think that interconnected alarms with battery backup and emergency lighting, with the alarms wired to a central panel in the wheelhouse, with visual and audible alarms would be a welcome improvement.

Why is that minimum so surprising? 1) its a minimum 2) interconnected smoke detectors were not common or not available when the boat was built 3) how many people have a smoke detector in every room of their house?

 

[rjack321]

A saw, in expert nautical fire fighter hands, is viscerally appealing. In panicked novice hands I worry about flooding the whole compartment or breaching to an engulfed engine room. Cutting to the shower room could be a plan. Cutting a 2*3’ escape hatch may take more juice than that little saw.

Some vessels are required to have a fire axe along with the required firehose, nozzle and extinguisher along with written fire plans.
A battery powered electric saw may sit for a decade or more unused. Writing specifications for something like this saw to have a minimum performance, how it would be maintained, sharpened, recharged, etc is next impossible. Not to mention it would be close to useless after hitting just one nail.

 

[Esprise Me]

On the subject of cheap knockoff batteries and chargers, I've bought a lot of electronics on Amazon, and the reviews are always all over the place as to whether the item advertised as OEM is the real deal or not. Based on other Amazon purchases I've made, where I've bought two or more of the same item, it seems clear that not everyone who orders the same item from the same link is getting the same product. Even with doing your due diligence, it's not always possible to know what you're getting.

 

[Ron Lee]

Why is that minimum so surprising? 1) its a minimum 2) interconnected smoke detectors were not common or not available when the boat was built 3) how many people have a smoke detector in every room of their house?

I almost do. The standard for my house is one. A few years ago I read about a case where a fire started with the parents downstairs (?), possibly sleeping and a child upstairs was killed. I may have the official report and if so will post it. That event led me to the conclusion that a smoke/fire alarm in every room (currently not including bathrooms) offers better detection/alerting for rooms that usually have the door closed. This is a case where I decided that I would go beyond the standard for my home and do what made sense to improve the detection/alerting aspect.

 

[PDX Diver]

That would be "detector" (singular), they stated the Vision on inspection had a single smoke detector in the berth compartment. They are so inexpensive I would think some redundancy (at least two in different locations) would be reasonable, and provide the earliest possible detection.

And on further thought on this, non-removable battery.

 

[Wookie]

And on further thought on this, non-removable battery.

Coast Guard will look at the battery, to see the installation date and make sure you changed it in the past year.

Again, some rules may need to change.

 

[edm81363]

Here is an example of a smoke hood. I can't say that this is the best solution but it is a starting point. Current cost on sale is $40 USD.

Here is the actual EEBD that we use on vessels, about $600 each plus annual maintenance. You also need to buy the training unit and teach people how to use it:

Ocenco M-20.2 Emergency Escape Breathing Device - EEBD

 

[Diving Dubai]

My theory - probably wrong - is that some are so upset by the idea that that batteries may have started the fire because perhaps it puts the “blame” for the fire on passengers, in that way of thinking. The passengers brought the batteries on board the boat, plugged them in, maybe they unknowingly bought unsafe batteries or chargers.

I am NOT staying the passengers are to blame for the fire. Just saying someone MIGHT consider the idea that batteries started the fire in that light.

While it's a reasonable assumption that a battery may have been the origin of initiation, perhaps igniting or setting off a small chain reactions on the charging table, teh battery fire while intense is quite short lived.

In which case fixtures and fittings which should (say if in a hotel room) been able to withstand that short time burn. By withstand I mean charring etc, but not continue to burn once the original heat source has subsided

As with any accident there is a chain of causation leading up to the final event. The fact that any small fire took hold quite so quickly and violently is the biggest cause for concern.

Either the boat was in effect "tinder dry" to go up so quickly OR the fire had gone unnoticed with no alarm being raised for a significant period of time.

 

[scubadada]

Quite clearly, no useful smoke/fire alarms went off to alert anyone.

 

[Diving Dubai]

An airplane that was built as a certified aircraft in 1950 is still certified and meets all FAA regs, it wouldn't if a clean sheet design and new production meet current FAR part 23

Yes and no

Firstly Grandfathering on Aircraft designs is no longer permitted for commercial designs - it stopped in the early 2000's (and the years leading up to that deadline were very profitable for design contractors)

But yes, while its true the original design certification would be valid (assuming the fatigue index is current) the certifications for the passenger compartment have to be to the latest requirement - so materials used, passenger evac etc etc.

Complying can be as easy as a new interior fit, or maybe be more complex such as de-rating passenger density. Hence you 'll see quite a few small business only configs, which conveniently allow reduced passenger density while keeping or increasing revenue on that air frame